A True Resolution
by Cat Calls
Summary: B'Elanna, Harry, and Kes go back to the planet where Janeway and Chakotay were left behind a year ago to rescue them. J/C and a little P/T and K/D
1. B'Elanna's story

Disclaimer: Everyone and everything in this story, is the property of Paramount. I just let their ideas ramble on a bit longer than the hour that they confine themselves to.  
  
Synopsis: B'Elanna, Harry, and Kes go back to the planet where Janeway and Chakotay were left behind a year ago, to rescue them. J/C and a little P/T  
  
Author's note: I know there are a few temproral shifts that don't belong in this story. (eg. What the Captain said to Kim in sickbay was a lot further along in their journey. I changed it slightly, but people who know Voyager well, might object.) Please, don't prosecute me, just enjoy the story.  
  
A True Resolution  
  
By Kat Calls  
  
B'Elanna's story  
  
Belanna's anxiety increased with every lightyear that passed.  
  
Would they want to come? Was one of the questions which asserted themselves most often in the back of her conciousness.  
  
What were they like now? Maybe they've discovered a cure, and have left the planet already. Would we meet them en route? Will it be the same as before?  
  
The questions became more and more convoluted every time she had the chance to stop and think about it. Which was quite often on this away mission. It had been generally quiet for the past month. They didn't need to stop until arrival at the command planet, as everyone had been calling it. So B'Elanna was given the frustration of slowly going stir crazy worrying about her friends.  
  
The hum of the nacelles at the stern of the new shuttle would have been peaceful had it not been for the sickening jolt every time Harry readjusted the phase transistors. B'Elanna curled herself into a coccoon, and willed sleep to come to her.  
  
Instead, memories of the Vidiians and Captain Solotek invaded her mind.  
  
He wasn't like any other Vidiian she had seen before, and B'Elanna had seen more than her fair share. Most of them looked like disgusting globs of something her Klingon ancestors would eat for dinner. The stolen skin practically hanging from their muscles. Their mottled eyes empty of compassion or care. Most of them killed without remorse to save themselves or their loved ones from the phage. Stealing organs from their victims to keep their slowly degrading bodies functioning for another menial month.  
  
But Solotek was different now. He had changed.  
  
He was a clean man, with a bright smile, and an even more vivid personality. He felt great sorrow for the things he and his horrid kinsmen had done, and seeked to repay his victims with kindness and gifts.  
  
The phage no longer controlled him. He was a relic to what his people had once been, and what they could be capable of.  
  
He had helped the Voyagers to no end.  
  
B'Elanna had been sickened by him when she heard that a Vidiian was once again on board the starship Voyager, and had even entertained thoughts of murdering him in her revenge.  
  
But her mind changed when he came to apologize to her.  
  
"I cannot erase what my people tried to do to you. All I ever want is to make sure you will be happy for the rest of your trip. I offer my help in any way shape or form that might be needed."  
  
B'Elanna had been stunned into silence. She began to feel slightly guilty about her murderous thoughts, and was quick to rein in her anger.  
  
She wouldn't allow them the satisfaction of seeing her pain.  
  
"I wasn't under the impression Vidiians cared for their victims?"  
  
"Oh we do now. I'm afraid in the past you may have been correct, but we seek to redeem ourselves."  
  
"Now that you have a cure you mean. How noble of you to all of a sudden, feel guilt for hurting something now that it's no longer necessary."  
  
So much for not showing her pain.  
  
"I can offer you anything you need in recompense, even my own life if it need be so. You are allowed to kill me for the sins of my people. Our laws agree it must be so."  
  
"I don't think that will be necessary. I'm sure something else can be arranged."  
  
"Technology? Or maybe medical supplies? The Vidiians are well known in this quadrant for their medical skills. Or else maybe there's something you want personally?"  
  
A plan began forming in her mind, and it was one she felt she had to think on. She needed to talk to Tom and Neelix about it. They had been the others whose lives had been changed by the Vidiians. The one other crewman who had been involved with the Vidiians had not lived through his experience, and Solotek would never be able to help him.  
  
"Let me think about it." Was all she had said, and left him alone. Still kneeling in an act of self castigation.  
  
B'Elanna rolled over again in her bunk while the new engine remodulated once more. She felt the sinking in her chest, and felt briefly nauseous while the gravitational plating adjusted itself to the new phase variance.  
  
She'd thought that after a month of that same feeling, she would have adjusted her metabolism to ignore it, but this was not the case.  
  
She still felt just as awful, and sleep eluded her just as often now, as in the beginning of their journey.  
  
A full month at transwarp.  
  
And she would finally see her friends again, and bring them home where they belonged.  
  
It was all due to the fact that some of the Vidiians had felt guilt for their crimes.  
  
Crimes that had split B'Elanna into two women for the sake of scientific research. Crimes that had stolen Neelix of one of his lungs. Crimes that had relegated Tom Paris to spend a week in fear, and forcing him to work tirelessly in the Vidiian mines. Crimes that had taken Lieutenant Durst's life.  
  
She still felt the old anger simmer inside her when she recalled what she had gone through.  
  
To have her DNA resequenced, and split apart. To become two women, one Klingon, the other Human. The sickness and fear she had felt as a full human was a feeling she hoped she would never have to endure again. As a half Human half Klingon, she felt strong, but it never overwhelmed her as she had seen in her Klingon self.  
  
The usual shudder went through her when she thought about what her counterpart had been subjected to. She hadn't had the time to ask her before she had been killed, but B'Elanna got the idea that it had been very painful from what the doctor had told her of the autopsy results.  
  
The doctor was the one who had given her back the strength of her former self when he realized that being without her Klingon genes was slowly killing her.  
  
B'Elanna contracted the muscles in her arms beneath the blankets reveling in her well toned physique. One thing the Vidiians had given her already, was the realization that she wasn't a misfit of both her ansestors worlds, but just simply B'Elanna Torres. A woman who liked to be hugged, but could drop kick someone who didn't do it tenderly enough. She was proud of herself for once, and it showed in her demeanor.  
  
The captain had had something to do with that too.  
  
She had been willing to act the part her mother never had. She listened, and encouraged, and seemed to know just how much to push her to get her to understand. It hadn't always been easy. In fact B'Elanna had been inexcusably rude the first time they had met. But things had changed.  
  
B'Elanna missed her.  
  
It had been almost a year since Captain Kathryn Janeway had been left behind, and B'Elanna's confidence had been pressed to it's limits. She was more than ready to have her surrogate mother back.  
  
B'Elanna was even more ready to have her best friend back.  
  
It was almost ironic that Chakotay had been left there at that same planet, to live his life with Kathryn Janeway. It was too much of a coincidence that fate would chose to leave the man who had been her concience, and a replacement for the father she'd never known, with the woman who had taken her under her wing as a daughter.  
  
In their absence, B'Elanna had turned to Tom Paris for comfort. It wasn't even close to the same kind of feeling she had for Commander Chakotay and Captain Janeway. Tom Paris was argumentative, and brash, but surprisingly sweet, and caring. He listened to her, and he comforted her. The current of sexual tension between them made for some interesting conversations, but it wasn't the same as having your mother and father around.  
  
That was why, the thing she had asked Captain Solotek for was to have them back.  
  
He had readily agreed, and at once, she was the proud owner of a set of beautiful transwarp coils, and schematics to integrate them onto a ship.  
  
Tom had filled in the rest of the order by asking the Vidiian captain for medicine that would allow Captain Janeway and Commander Chakotay to leave their planet.  
  
The ominous warning Solotek had given them was in no way a deterrant in their effort to rescue the Captain and Commander.  
  
"There are those in the central Vidiian spacial grid, who are still beholden to the old ways. They have no qualms of abducting people to further their own purposes. I should caution you that many still believe themselves the supreme species."  
  
Just to make matters worse, It turned out that Voyager's engines, no matter what the phase modulation, were not acually compatible with the transwarp coils. The engineering staff, headed by B'Elanna, had been forced to create a whole new shuttle to function as a rescue vehicle.  
  
She wished, not for the first time, that they had gotten this new technology months beforehand. A year without outside humanoid interaction would have driven B'Elanna crazy. She didn't want to think about what the Captain and Chakotay were going through.  
  
When the command team had first been bitten, B'Elanna had been extremely annoyed by the fact that she hadn't even been able to say goodbye to them properly.  
  
A simple word over the comm system was all that was allowed. They couldn't afford the risk of any more of the crew becoming infected. So there were no hugs exchanged in farewell. Only the words, which had always seemed so inadequate for their intended use.  
  
She would see them again now. She prayed they were all right, a full year was a long time to leave two people behind. Especially when it was assumed they'd be there for the rest of their lives.  
  
The infection they'd received, denied them the ability to leave the planet. If they were to even try, they would suffocate. There was something in the atmosphere keeping them safe, but to leave would be a death sentence. All because of some little burrowing insect, their lives had been altered dramatically.  
  
That was partly what made her toss and turn under these covers so often.  
  
They had no idea what consequences were supposed to result from their illnesses, but she hoped to Kahless they were all right.  
  
To come all this way, only to find that they were at death's door, or dead, would be the worst thing she could imagine.  
  
She'd rather think of them as happy and safe on that little paradise of a planet they'd been left on, rather than know for sure that they were dead.  
  
B'Elanna asked the computer for the time, and growled when she found it to be only half an hour before her call to wake.  
  
She threw the covers off her in a huff, and winced as the phase adjusted at the same time.  
  
"Harry, Why couldn't you have made that transition a little easier?" She called to the front of the shuttle.  
  
His voice came back muffled through the bulkheads. "Sure, blame it on me why don't you? And anyhow, I kind of like that feeling. It puts me to sleep. Like being rocked by your mother."  
  
"Speak for yourself Starfleet." She grumbled, pulling herself out into the open cockpit, where Harry and Kes were working.  
  
"Did you not get any sleep again B'Elanna?" Kes' anxious voice was like smooth water running over stones.  
  
"No I didn't and thanks for asking, now that my sleep shift is finished."  
  
"You should have come to me. I could have given you a sedative to help you relax." Kes pulled out her medkit, and tricorder, and scanned B'Elanna.  
  
B'Elanna eyed her warily, not liking the feel of having her innards on display.  
  
"How long have you been having trouble? This doesn't look like your classic case of insomnia."  
  
"Pretty much the entire trip. I've been a little edgy the whole way here. I never get any more than three or four hours a night."  
  
Kes gaped at her, shocked. "No wonder you've been so difficult to work around. I can give you something now, and we'll start your shift later than usual if you'd like?"  
  
Harry's voice interrupted. "We might need her soon. The command planet isn't more than three hours away at maximum warp. If you want any sleep, you'd better be prepared to only sleep for that time."  
  
"Three hours? Oh thank Kaless. I was beginning to wonder if we were on the right track." B'Elanna's relief brought with it a wave of exhaustion. "But if you can give me something light just for about two hours, It might help. I do need to be rested for when we get there."  
  
"Sure." Kes stood up, and they went back to the second bunkroom, where B'Elanna had been keeping her few belongings.  
  
According to Harry, these little rooms couldn't be considered bedrooms, nor could they be considered quarters, due to their size, so he had been calling them bunkrooms, and the name had stuck.  
  
They were tiny rectangular boxes intended only for sleep, and meant to be shared with two other crewmen. The bunks were one on top of the other, and tended to cramp the style of anyone over five foot seven.  
  
B'Elanna lay herself out on the hard mattress, and Kes touched her neck with the hypospray. A hiss and a little twinge, indicated it's arrival in it's intended body.  
  
"I'll be back with a stimulant in two hours."  
  
"Thanks." B'Elanna mumbled, and fell into a deep doze.  
  
* There's more to come folks. I'll add another chapter soon. I'd enjoy to hear your feedback 


	2. Harry's story

1 Disclaimer: Everyone and everything in this story, is the property of Paramount. I just let their ideas ramble on a bit longer than the hour that they confine themselves to.  
  
1.1  
  
1.2 A True Resolution  
  
1.3 Harry's Story  
  
"If you've got the engines all sorted out, then I'll go wake B'Elanna" Harry grabbed the stimulant from Kes' medkit, and clicked it into a hypospray casing. "I need to stand up and move around anyhow."  
  
He stood up quickly, and stamped his feet around the cockpit for a few minutes, trying to wake up the dormant muscles.  
  
He slipped into the second bunkroom, and pressed the hypospray to B'Elanna's neck, making her eyes flutter and widen.  
  
"Is it time to get them now?" B'Elanna's groggy voice lifted above the quiet of the shuttle.  
  
We still have about an hour or so, but we'll be entering comm range in less than fourty five. I need your help setting things up for their arrival."  
  
"I'm coming. I tell you, that sleep I just had was the best one since we left Voyager. I can't wait to get back, and feel rested again." B'Elanna's groggy voice made Harry sorry he had to take her away from her comfortable sleep.  
  
Twenty minutes was all it really took to do the last minute business before touchdown, so the three officers waited with baited breath to come into comm range.  
  
"They might not be in the vicinity of their comm badges." Said Harry. "We'll have to keep speaking for awhile. Here goes nothing." He pressed the button to activate the communications system.  
  
"Kim to Janeway." He paused. "Janeway, please respond." He continued to speak a continuous flow of words. "Kim to Chakotay... Chakotay, please respond…. Janeway…"  
  
"Janeway here." She sounded breathless and shocked. "What are you doing back here Harry? I didn't even consider ever hearing your voice again."  
  
Harry let out a long breath that he didn't realize he'd been holding. "We have plenty of time to catch up. It's good to hear your voice again Captain. We have some good news."  
  
"Any good news is eagerly accepted. I'm afraid I've been rather lacking in that department recently." Her voice caught, and wavered slightly.  
  
Harry wasn't sure he wanted to know. "We'll be arriving in approximately ten to fifteen minutes. You can tell us your stories when we arrive. I imagine we have a lot to catch up on."  
  
"I have no doubt. But I should warn you to prepare yourselves. Things down here have changed dramatically."  
  
"Is it that bad? What happened?" Harry's voice took on the nervous edge once more.  
  
"Not all of it. It's a bit hard to explain over the comm. I don't want to worry you, but this should wait until you arrive. I'll have a pot of coffee on when you get here."  
  
"Sounds good. I'll see you soon."  
  
"So what do you think?" Harry's question was directed at Kes, and she shook her head in uncertainty.  
  
"I don't know. She's obviously all right, but I'm not so sure about Commander Chakotay. Her voice was strained, like she's had a lot of stress recently. I honestly don't know what to make of it. If you'd like, I can meditate, and listen to her telepathically. We might know a little more about her frame of mind, so that we'll know what to expect.  
  
"Sounds like a good idea. Do you need any help?" Harry asked.  
  
"I could use a sounding board. Sometimes when Tuvok and I practice our telepathy, we can't remember exactly what happened after the fact. I might need someone to interpret."  
  
Harry wanted to see what was on the captain's mind just as much if not more than anyone on board. "I'll come." He said, and followed Kes into the back room.  
  
Harry had been a part of the Captain's original starfleet crew when they had gotten lost in the Delta Quadrant. He was also the youngest bridge officer, and Captain Janeway had taken him under her wing. Sort of like an apprentice.  
  
"I've always thought of you differently from my other officers, Harry. I've really enjoyed watching you develop into a fine young man and a competent officer. You're the bright part of my day."  
  
She had said those kinds of things to him often, and it always gave him the proper lift of spirits. She always knew just what to say and when. She had said that particular gem when he had been in sickbay one morning. Not feeling his best, and she had come in to confer with the doctor. Harry had felt better just hearing her voice, but to hear it say that, about him, It was almost a vaccine for what ailed him.  
  
Harry went to the bunkroom one that he was sharing with Kes, and they squished down on the floor together. They sat cross legged, and she pulled a candle out of her pack under the lower of the three bunks.  
  
She lit it, and closed her eyes. Harry had seen her do this before. A month alone with a person, and you learn things about them that you maybe wouldn't have otherwise.  
  
Kes' telepathic abilities had always astounded him. She could close her eyes, and listen in to other's thoughts, but only with an effort. He figured her abilities gave her a slight edge on everyone else, and it allowed her a wisdom far beyond her years.  
  
He didn't resent her for it. He knew that any information she stumbled across, that might be too personal, or uncomfortable, she would avoid it, and go on to something else. She never divulged any of the crew's secrets, and was always strong for them.  
  
In a way, Harry thought, it was nice to have someone on board who understood. He knew he could always trust her when it came to his feelings.  
  
Kes began to speak to him.  
  
"I'm there… I see her…The captain is worried… She wants us to hurry… She…" Kes smiled. An unconsious reaction to some happy thought.  
  
"What is it?" Harry asked quietly. So as not to disturb her concentration.  
  
"She misses him."  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Commander Chakotay." She said it so quietly. So full of sorrow and yearning, that Harry's breath leapt into his throat.  
  
"Is he… dead?" He gulped.  
  
Kes paused, furrowing her brow. "I don't think so. He's just not there. She's afraid for him. She thinks that we can help."  
  
"That's a relief." Harry said, watching his shaking hand. "I wonder what's happened?"  
  
Commander Chakotay had never quite had the same effect on Harry as the Captain had. He was, of course, a well respected and proven first officer, and because the Captain cared for him, Harry did too.  
  
Kes winced, and gasped and Harry grabbed her hand. "What happened?"  
  
"She just hurt herself, I think… I didn't know she knew that kind of language." Said Kes giggling. "She's all right. It was only a bit of coffee spilled."  
  
Harry pulled on the arm he'd caught. "I think we've got enough. I don't want to intrude."  
  
"I agree. We should find out the whole story from her personally." Kes blew out the candle, and stowed it with her things under the bunk  
  
"Torres to Kim, We're just outside the command planet's system. I need you up here with me now."  
  
"On my way."  
  
He stood up, helping Kes up from her uncomfortable position on the floor, and they went to the cockpit together.  
  
Harry's pulse was racing. He was nervous and excited and a million different other emotions. It was all he could do to keep his mind on the task of landing the shuttle.  
  
Finally, they were pushing through the exosphere, and down through the layers of noxious gasses and clouds. Into a clear oxygenated and dewy atmosphere. The beautiful green planet glowed below them, and a golden sliver of one of the gaseous moons could be seen above the pinkened horizon.  
  
"Look at that." Said Harry in awe. "It really is beautiful."  
  
"Don't know if I'd want to be stuck here though." Muttered B'Elanna under her breath.  
  
"She was happy here for awhile." Said Kes, still glowing in the aftereffect of telepathic communication.  
  
"For awhile?" Said B'Elanna in surprise. "That would infer that she is no longer happy. What happened?"  
  
Harry answered almost sheepishly. "Commander Chakotay has gone missing."  
  
"What!?" Shrieked B'Elanna. And the shuttle did a nervous twitch, imitating her behaviour.  
  
Harry tried desperately to calm her down. It was always preferable to land a shuttle rather than crash it. "Don't stress out B'Elanna. We don't have the full story yet. She might actually know where he is, but can't go after him. There might be more to it than Kes can tell us."  
  
B'Elanna's eyes still sparked in rage. "She owes us a damn fine explanation for this. How could she lose him?"  
  
Kes interrupted. "She didn't lose him, he was taken away."  
  
Harry's attention was diverted to Kes and he blurted out in surprise. "You didn't tell me that!"  
  
"Different people call for different measures." Kes winked at him.  
  
"You've been hanging around us Humans too long. Ocampans would never be that devious." Harry's eyes were now also tinged with anger. Not towards Kes, however, but to whoever had taken Chakotay.  
  
The shuttle landed with an audible thud on the dewy grass in the centre of a lush green field.  
  
The three crewmen climbed out the door, and shut it behind them. Kes hoisted her medkit over her shoulder, and looked at B'Elanna expectantly.  
  
"That way." She said, pointing.  
  
The command settlement was just around the corner, and over a ridge, but they had no need to pull out their tricorders A tall plume of smoke indicated the path, and they followed it.  
  
It led to a small ramshackle cabin partly made of starfleet issue temporary shelter boards, and the other half consisted of smooth, even logs. It was the latter part of the cabin that had been creating the smoke, as a tall chimney stood erect to one end. The roof of the temporary shelter had been dashed through in six places, and four of them had been repaired. It looked like a storm had gone through the area, and twigs and branches were lying everywhere.  
  
Tall and lush rock gardens grew along one edge of the house. Harry could see Talaxian tomatoes, lettuce, and celery stalks as part of a large contingent of vegetables.  
  
"This place has Chakotay written all over it." Muttered B"Elanna.  
  
"I almost expected her to be out here waiting." Kes said, observing the grounds  
  
"She probably didn't hear the shuttle arrive." Harry said. "We'll just go in then."  
  
Harry and B'Elanna moved forward, and Kes let them go first.  
  
Harry put his hand on the old fashioned doorknob, and turned it, pushing the door inward, and stumbling into what must have been the living room.  
  
A couch, a chair, some shelves, and a table were really the only furnishings, but the walls were covered in the most beautiful artwork Harry had ever seen. There were small carvings of creatures on the top of the bookshelf. Some were common earth animals, and some were strange ones that Harry had never seen before.  
  
"Definitely Chakotay." Said B'Elanna once again.  
  
They heard faint strains of music coming from the back of the house, and they followed it. Hesitantly, but with excitement in their step.  
  
Harry wanted to cry with joy, at the first sight of his Captain, and he actually felt a few sniffles coming on.  
  
She was wearing a light blue dress, that was rolled up at the sleeves, and smudged a little at the hem. She was standing with her back to them next to the replicator, and she was listening to some classical music at a higher than necessary volume.  
  
The accoustics of the log cabin were such that outside noise was filtered out, and inside noise reverberated well.  
  
No wonder she hadn't heard the shuttle. Was Harry's first thought.  
  
"Captain?" B'Elanna called above the music.  
  
Harry's second thought was of pure shock, as Captain Janeway turned in surprise, and revealed her slightly pregnant physique to them.  
  
"Captain?" Harry whispered disbelievingly. The music still whirred through the cabin, ignoring the moment of awkward tension between the four friends.  
  
Harry would forever connect Chopin to this moment.  
  
*More to come folks. Don't worry, it won't be a long wait.* 


	3. Kathryn's Story

1 Disclaimer: Everyone and everything in this story, is the property of Paramount. I just let their ideas ramble on a bit longer than the hour that they confine themselves to.  
  
1.1 Kathryn's Story  
  
Kathryn was surprised into a stupor when the three crewmen had appeared behind her.  
  
It seemed the same thing had happened to them, because they simply stood there, staring at her for long moments.  
  
No, make that they were staring at her belly, which was protruding ever so slightly. Not enough to be seen from behind, but just enough to let them know for certain that she hadn't simply become a fat layabout. She curved her hands over the bulge, in an attempt at what? She wasn't quite sure. Maybe to keep them from seeing it, but not really. She wasn't embarrassed per say.  
  
She called the computer to cease the music  
  
The absence of sound startled them into awakening, and their eyes met her face once more.  
  
Then, she was mauled.  
  
First, Harry ran forward, and scooped her into an embrace, which seemed to cause the room to spin. Or maybe he was actually spinning her around in his joy.  
  
She laughed with delight, and he placed her back on her feet to deliver a traditional European double kiss to each cheek.  
  
She pivoted, to come face to face with Kes. A secretive knowing smile on her not yet three year old face.  
  
She's just too wise for her own good, that one. Thought Kathryn. She was certain Kes had known ahead of time, and hadn't told the others.  
  
"We brought you medicine to help you off the planet." Kes said, sweetly, in greeting.  
  
Kathryn gave her a tight hug, and a peck on the cheek. "Thank god. I was starting to get a little antsy. It'll be nice to try out my space legs once again. It's so nice to see you all!"  
  
She beamed, and turned to B'Elanna, who had tears collected beneath her thick brown lashes.  
  
The woman who at one time, had blamed Kathryn for being selfish and cruel, was now pulling Kathryn into her arms and weeping like a lost child.  
  
She pulled away, and smiled at this usually so aggressive woman, wiping at B'Elanna's damp cheeks with her thumbs.  
  
Kathryn was so surprised, that it almost began a barely contained waterfall within herself.  
  
It had been so long for Kathryn without seeing another humanoid, that Kathryn was weak from the sudden burst of companionship.  
  
She pulled up one of her more comfortable dining room chairs, and collapsed into it with her hands over her mouth.  
  
"Oh my." Was all she was able to utter now. "Oh my."  
  
"Captain, How far along are you?" Kes was the first one to speak the question on everyone's minds.  
  
"Four months, actually." Kathryn pulled her emotions together, stood, and led them all back into the living room. "Why don't you three sit down, and I'll bring you that coffee I promised you."  
  
"I'll help." Kes said, and eyed her two companions sharply as if to say that she did not want them to also volunteer their services.  
  
The Captain caught the look, and simply rolled her eyes. "Come on then."  
  
They excused themselves to the kitchen in the log portion of the cabin once more.  
  
"Captain? How are you feeling? You aren't going to have any of that coffee, are you? It isn't good you know."  
  
"I got enough of that from Chakotay. Trust me, I know better than to do something like that." She gave the girl a playful smile. "Every once in awhile, though, I like to waft some under my nose. Got to keep my spirits up you know."  
  
"Kes laughed. I'm so glad things worked out between the two of you. This relationship was a long time in the coming. But a child? That's a huge step for you to take when you've only been with him for such a short time."  
  
The Captain was surprised, but pleased with Kes' acceptance. "Yeah, I guess so, and we didn't even want to acknowledge the spark between us for the first two and a half months. It's true that it hasn't been all that long since our relationship began, but it doesn't feel that way. Being with someone twenty four seven can have that effect sometimes."  
  
"And having a child was the next logical step." Said Kes.  
  
"Having a child was the next logical accident."  
  
Kes looked slightly shocked that anyone would say such a thing about a child.  
  
Kathryn hurried to amend her friend's impression of her. "Not that I wouldn't have wanted one at some point, anyhow, But I was worried that when the two of us died, the child would be all alone. I wouldn't wish that on anyone, much less my own child. It only made sense that we take precautions not to foist our problems onto a baby." She rolled her hands unconciously across her belly as she spoke. "Our replicators went down at one point for an entire month, because I couldn't find the correct alloy type to fix them, and we couldn't replicate our monthly booster shots." She grinned sweetly. "The result was a bit unexpected, but I wouldn't trade it for the earth."  
  
"That's good to hear Captain. Now let's go back to the living room, and you can tell us what you know about Commander Chakotay's whereabouts."  
  
Kathryn raised her eyebrows.  
  
"Don't worry, I wasn't snooping. Tuvok and I have been working on my telepathic skills. I can focus on one person's mind if I really put in the effort. But I can only see what you allow me to see. I don't know the whole story. You're going to have to tell it aloud."  
  
"All right then."  
  
They walked back through the door to find B'Elanna and Harry in a deep discussion that abruptly ended when they arrived.  
  
"It's all right you two," the Captain teased, "You can talk about my love life when I'm in the room too."  
  
They both blushed guiltily, and lowered their eyes to the floor.  
  
Kes and the Captain deposited a pot of coffee, three mugs, and a glass of milk for Kathryn on the small table.  
  
They both were seated. Kes, on the couch next to B'Elanna and Harry, and Kathryn, on the wide arm chair, leaning back to get comfortable.  
  
"What was it that coerced you three to come back to rescue us?" the captain asked, sipping on her milk.  
  
"We didn't really need to be coerced." Said B'elanna, and she quickly explained the story of Captain Solotek.  
  
"He might have given us the parts we needed, but it was entirely our choice to come back for you." B'Elanna summed up.  
  
"So?" said Harry. "Tell us the story about what happened to Commander Chakotay?"  
  
"Well," she began, "It's not really much of a story from my point of view. Chakotay would have been able to tell you what happened, but unfortunately, he's not here. I was unconsious for most of it."  
  
"Tell us what you know anyhow." Harry sounded impatient, and B'Elanna gave him a hard nudge in the stomach with her elbow. He grunted, and gave her a dirty glare.  
  
Kathryn continued. "As you've probably ascertained, Chakotay and I have gotten quite close this past year. He and I were out walking in the forest about two months ago, when we were surrounded by six or seven Vidiians. We didn't know where they came from, or what they intended to do with us, but they had their weapons drawn, and aimed at us."  
  
"You mean you've been alone for two months here?" Harry's eyes widened.  
  
"Yes." She said solemnly. "We had taken to wearing our phasers when we went walking, and I, stupidly enough, reached for mine. I don't know what I was thinking. One of the Vidiians stunned me, and that was that. I woke up the next day in the cabin, and I couldn't find him anywhere. The shuttle we had was gone, and I only have one piece of evidence to pick up Chakotay's trail. Evidence that I'm pretty sure would not stand up in a starfleet court."  
  
"What do you have?" Harry asked.  
  
The Captain stood, and pulled a book off one of the shelves. It was Homer's The Odyssey, and it had had a broad green leaf stuck between the cover and the front page.  
  
"This book, Chakotay gave me while we were still on Voyager. He had said it was a story about me. When I woke up that morning, this book was stuck under my arm. Along with it, was this leaf. It wasn't inside, or anything, but on top. I don't think he would have had time for anything else. The book is an obvious message. He means to say he's going to do his best to escape and come back to me here. It seems that all along, the story was about him. It also tells me that he's most likely alive. He wouldn't have done this for me if he thought they were going to kill him. He would have done something else."  
  
"What's the significance of the leaf?" Kes wisely figured the foliage to be a more prudent clue as to the Commander's whereabouts.  
  
"This is a leaf off a plant that grows beautiful orange blooms. It's a bit strange, because it only blossoms inside caves or dark damp areas. As far as I can tell, these plants need little or no light to survive. The ones in full sunlight, never produce any flowers at all. We called it the 'cave flower'. So I only have to guess that wherever the Vidiians have taken him, it's in a cave. He probably would have left me one of the flowers, but I don't think his captors would have let him stop off in a cave to pick one. He must have just grabbed it on the way back to the cabin."  
  
B'Elanna shuddered suddenly. "When my DNA was split, I ended up in a mine with Tom and about thirty other victims. We were forced to haul rocks around, because the Vidiians weren't strong enough to do the mining themselves, what with them having the phage and all. The mines were sort of like caves. Maybe that was what he was trying to tell you."  
  
"I had the same thought. I think the best place to start looking would be the Vidiian mining asteroids." Kathryn suddenly looked once more, like the indomitable captain she had once been.  
  
'Funny, how I can just slide right back into that personality.' She thought smugly.  
  
That thought suddenly began to resonate with other, deeper meanings. 'Do I really want to become that person again?' 'What will happen to this me if I become her again?'  
  
It wasn't something she had a choice about. For one thing, she had once been responsible for everyone aboard Voyager, and she had felt like she was abandoning them when she was forced to remain behind.  
  
Now that she had the ability to go back, and lead them once more on the journey home, she was responsible again, and there was no way she would abandon them willingly.  
  
That, and Chakotay.  
  
No one had ever been as caring and compassionate to her in her entire life. She would never abandon him. There was no question about it. He must be saved, and to do that, she would have to become the Captain again.  
  
She tapped her knees with the palms of her hands, and stood up. "Well, I'm going to need help packing up all this stuff."  
  
"Of course. We wouldn't make you leave any of your knicknacks behind now, would we?" Harry grinned like the young ensign she remembered from Voyager.  
  
"God help me if Chakotay notices a single one of his art projects missing. I hope you have a large cargo hold on that new shuttle. What's it called again?"  
  
"The Resolution." B'Elanna and Harry both answered at once.  
  
Kathryn stood, and the three crewmen followed her lead. "Let me show you around the cabin, then you can show me the Resolution."  
  
She showed them the inside first, and most of it contained things that were to be expected from the two commanding officers. The cabin was made up of three large rooms. The temporary shelter had been opened up into one big area. The two small screens that had once divided their beds from the rest of the room had been pulled down, and it had become the living room. The log cabin contained two rooms. One large kitchen and dining room area, and the smaller room was the bedroom.  
  
The two twin size beds had been put together long ago, to make one spacious king size. The fact that they were sleeping together, of course, was a strange concept for the rescuers to wrap their minds around. Kathryn understood their hesitant reaction, and skimmed over that area quickly. They hadn't been there when Chakotay had told her the warrior story. They wouldn't understand that they loved each other.  
  
Chakotay's voice came back to her now. The memory of that story reverberated around the cabin, as it had for the two months she had spent alone.  
  
"It's an ancient legend among my people. A story about an angry warrior, who lived in conflict with the rest of his tribe. He couldn't find peace, even with the help of his spirit guide. For years, he struggled with his discontent. And the only satisfacion he had, came when he was in battle. This made him a hero among his tribe, but the warrior still longed for peace, within himself.  
  
One day, he and his war party were captured by a neighbouring tribe, led by a woman warrior. She called on him to join her, because her tribe was small, and could not defend itself from all it's enemies alone. The woman warrior was brave and beautiful., and very wise. The angry warrior swore to himself that he would stay by her side, doing whatever he could to make her burden lighter. And in that way, he began to know the true meaning of peace."  
  
As Kathryn ushered the three back into the main area, where the telling of the ledgend had taken place, her response to the story once again haunted her.  
  
"Is that really an ancient legend?"  
  
"No, but that made it easier to say."  
  
Kathryn composed herself, and showed her friends the rest of the cabin.  
  
The fireplace was a small stone alcove in the wall, which, surprisingly, doubled as a stove.  
  
"That was put in when our replicators went down." The Captain explained. "It was interesting. I remembered hearing once, that in early earth's history, the women were the ones who cooked, and the men went out and hunted. In this place and time, I was the one who was better with a phaser, so I usually hunted, and neither one of us could stomach my cooking, so Chakotay did that. I never understood all the old classifications of men and women's roles, but I could understand why it happened, if it started with something like this."  
  
B'Elanna was searching the rooms with confusion. "Why don't you have any research equipment out? I thought you were going to keep trying to find a cure. I've never known you to put aside anything so completely."  
  
"I was sort of forced to give it up." Kathryn looked wistful. "Every month or so, on this planet, we experience massive plasma storms. All my research equipment was damaged in the first one, and we couldn't replicate the necessary components to repair everything. The storms are pretty regular, but they creep up on you quickly. Almost every storm we had, some piece of equipment would go on the fritz."  
  
She pointed to the holes in the temporary shelter ceiling, which were still wide open to the sky. "Those were mostly from the first storm. By the time the second one came along, we had cleared quite a large number of trees from the immediate area surrounding the cabin. It worked, at first, and none of the trees came down on the cabin for the next six or seven storms, except one, which only left a small hole. Chakotay and I patched it up easily. These open two are more recent, from since Chakotay's disappearance.  
  
He didn't like me climbing up on top of the shelter, being pregnant and all, and I have to say that I agree. Both of us have fallen, on separate occasions, and I don't want to hurt the baby. I'm not going to take chances if it's all I have left."  
  
B'Elanna interrupted the story. "Plasma storms don't usually cause this much destruction. Do they? These must be pretty big, to create a hole like this."  
  
"The storms themselves aren't really the problem. It's mostly the seismic movement that accompanies them, which ruins all our stuff."  
  
Harry smiled. "The book shelf has a ledge on the front to keep everything from falling off, and it's bolted to the ground. I thought that was a bit odd."  
  
"The shaking's part of the reason for the log cabin. It's sturdier, and less prone to damage from falling trees."  
  
"It's interesting," said Kes, "that your cabin seems to be a mix of old style, and modernism. The modern stuff keeps breaking, and you have to fall back on ancient earth customs to repair them."  
  
"Chakotay has a little more knowledge about the old fashioned style of living. His people often lived like this. Halfway between the new world, and the old."  
  
They walked outside into the sunlight, and began to tour the grounds.  
  
She showed the garden, the fire pit, The forest path, and the property's two crowning achievements; the big gray bathtub, and the swing.  
  
"He made that tub for me in the first month we were here.  
  
I told him that I thought we were roughing it, since there was no bathtub at my disposal, and he made me one.  
  
The swing, was a bit of a joke between us. He told me once that this place made him feel like a kid again. I think it was because he had no life and death responsibilities, and he was allowed to really enjoy himself on occasion. I put up the swing to appease his inner child."  
  
The morning passed quickly, and the afternoon was spent packing everything up for the trip home. Kathryn had taken a holocamera around the area, and recorded everything as it had last been, before anything was allowed to be moved. She wanted to be able to come back to this place occasionally, if she was to live the rest of her life on Voyager. The holodeck wouldn't be the same, but it would capture the memory of this place. And that was all she needed.  
  
Kathryn didn't want anyone else to pack away any of Chakotay's things. She wouldn't admit it to them, but she wanted to reminice about each item before it was deposited into packing crates, and carried out to the Resolution.  
  
The Resolution was faster than any ship she had been on before, but it was less roomy than the spaces to which she had become accustomed. The open air of New Earth had become the norm for her, and it was strange to be once again in an enclosed environment. The four small rooms were a bit of a cramp to her style, but she could live with it if she had to.  
  
The cargo hold was barely large enough for the important things. They didn't bother to take down the temporary shelter, and there were a few things inside that weren't really necessary to bring back with them. The beds were left, along with the dressers, chairs and tables.  
  
Technology had to be taken. Starfleet's prime directive didn't allow for any technology to be exchanged either willingly, or unknowingly. So the replicators, recyclers and any computer components were dismantled and removed.  
  
The four spent the evening in the cabin. Playing board games, chess, and cards. Kathryn slept the night for the last time in her and Chakotay's bed, and the next morning, she left it solemnly.  
  
Walking down the path towards the shuttle, she looked back over her shoulder at the little makeshift cabin. It looked forlorn without a plume of smoke rising from the chimney, and on impulse, she ran back to her garden.  
  
The tomatoes were half ripe, and she gathered a pile of them in her skirt, and took them with her. She pulled one head of lettuce which was in season, and stashed it with her bundle  
  
The tomatoes wouldn't be ready for another few weeks or so, but maybe they would last until Chakotay was found. They would be able to enjoy tomato sandwiches, and remember everything about their lives here.  
  
Hopefully that feeling of belonging and inner peace that she had discovered in this place would follow her all the way home.  
  
She joined the others for liftoff in the Resolution.  
  
Kes administered hypoprays to each of the crew, to ensure that exposure to the local insects wouldn't cause problems again.  
  
The beautiful green planet fell away from under her, and she felt pain, as if part of her was being left behind.  
  
She gave the three crewmen an easy smile, and left them to do their work in the cockpit.  
  
She moved into the common room, part of which was a kitchen, and began to wash her vegetables. Staying out of sight of anyone who might be wondering about the tiny droplets of salty water that ran down her cheeks. 


	4. Chakotay's Story

1 Disclaimer: Everyone and everything in this story, is the property of Paramount. I just let their ideas ramble on a bit longer than the hour that they confine themselves to.  
  
1.1 Chakotay's Story  
  
Time, in the Vidiian mines was an obsolete concept.  
  
Chakotay rose when the others did, ate when he was given rations, and slept when everyone was taken back to the barracks.  
  
There was no sunlight, no tricorders, and there was no way to be certain how much time had passed since he had been taken from New Earth.  
  
He was finally getting somewhere with his escape plan. The crumbled wall behind the slab he called his bed, was now open to an extent that a body could slip through.  
  
Guards patrolled regularly, and hindered his efforts. But the job had been made easier by the companionship and watchful eye of his partner in crime, Rixan. A young Talaxian man who was just as thrifty and selfless as Neelix had been back on Voyager.  
  
It was Rixan who had found the small hammer, and it was Rixan who offered to help by keeping an eye open for guards, while Chakotay worked.  
  
Chakotay had been at first hesitant, when he discovered the sliding panel on the wall at the top of his bed.  
  
The material was a crumbling cement of some type. The small hole in the centre, opening out into one of the darkened mining tunnels, was only the size of his thumb. It didn't look like much, but it was more than he had found otherwise.  
  
The Vidiians were very effective captors, and left almost nothing to chance. Their patrol was erratic, not allowing for the captives to analyze their movements. They had frequent inspections, Of the barracks, and shuttle docking bays were protected by a force field. The doors to the barracks were doubled. An extra set lay just beyond the first, so a person couldn't just run out the door when they opened. There was very little chance of leaving through them. Even the guards used voice activation to pass. That was something that was impossible to simulate.  
  
Chakotay was ready though, and knew that there were certain things the guards did that they didn't realize was a routine. For instance, they never patrolled the mining tunnels during the sleep cycles.  
  
They left three guards behind on what he liked to refer to, as the 'night shift'. All of whom were within the immediate vicinity of the barracks. They always had about a five minute span between shifts, when all of the guards left the barracks to meet with their superiors, in the office just beyond the doors.  
  
The two conspirators had been using that short space of time to dig their hole into the tunnels, and tomorrow would be the day for action.  
  
Chakotay had been watching the guards when they worked the surveillance station, and he knew what buttons to push to deactivate the force field around the shuttle bays without setting off an alarm. The only problem with that, was that he knew the Vidiian consoles could only be activated by thumbprint, and the same went for certification of commands.  
  
Tomorrow's sleep shift would be his best chance to take out the guards.  
  
For now, he would sleep.  
  
His dreams were usually filled with images of Kathryn. Sometimes, he saw his comrades from Voyager, but that was an older wound, and one that had begun to heal.  
  
Kathryn's memory was a little more recent, and their parting had been more terrifying than that of Voyager.  
  
This night was no different.  
  
He saw the phasers aimed at her chest, and the horror filled his heart at the jet of orange light that emanated.  
  
A gasp that was hers, and her form crumpled amongst the ferns. He ran to her, holding her in his arms, and he watched the tears fall from his own face, wetting her dress.  
  
She was alive. He could feel her chest still moving.  
  
The baby. Was it all right?  
  
He yelled at the men to stay away, and screamed that they might have killed the baby.  
  
One man stepped forward, and Chakotay gripped her body close to his and glared as menacingly as he could to warn him off.  
  
The man did not leave. He came closer, and pulled out a machine.  
  
"No!" Chakotay screamed. "Don't hurt her! Take me! I'll go! You don't need her!"  
  
"Chakotay, wake up!" Rixan shook Chakotay's shoulders and whispered an alarm.  
  
It took a moment for Chakotay to realize that the man who stood before him was his friend, and not a Vidiian intent on hurting the woman he loved.  
  
He took a swing at Rixan, and connected with his upper arm. Rixan grunted, and shook Chakotay some more.  
  
"Chakotay! You're dreaming again. Wake up!" His last plea was emphasized by an aggressive yank on Chakotay's shoulders.  
  
"Rixan?" Chakotay's voice was weak, and confused.  
  
"Yeah it's me. You were dreaming about your Kathryn again."  
  
"Oh. Is it time to get to work yet?"  
  
"Nobody's come to wake us, so I assume not. I just don't like hearing you scream in my ear."  
  
"Sorry. I had another nightmare."  
  
"I could tell. Your voice was loud enough to wake my brother, back home on Talax." Rixan lay himself back down on his slab, which was next to Chakotay's.  
  
He abruptly sat up again when a loud Vidiian voice sounded through the barracks.  
  
"Everybody up! Stand at the end of your bunks this morning."  
  
No other commands were issued, but the prisoners all groaned, and stood, as they were ordered. They knew the penalty for disobeying, some of them personally.  
  
This order to stand at the foot of the beds was an odd one though. It had always just been; "Everybody up. File out the room, and into the decontamination chambers."  
  
Chakotay stood loosely at the end of his bunk waiting for whatever was to come.  
  
"I've been ordered to take your names, and the names of your planets to my superiors. Don't anyone here be thinking that you're about to get rescued. We just like to know, so we know what to put on your headstone. It seems that someone in our government has decided to abolish slavery. So from this moment on, you are all to be known as employees. Measures will be taken to insure that you all have the proper papers, but you will not leave, and the rations and restrictions will remain. All that really changes is your title in our society. When Amuran comes down the line, you will give him your name, and your homeplanet."  
  
Chakotay's heart was beating a million times a second. He had thought for a moment that he was about to be set free. But that was obviously not the case.  
  
Amuran passed Rixan, keying the Talaxian's name and planet into a little hand held monitor.  
  
He stopped at Chakotay, waiting for him to give the needed information. Chakotay felt no need to hold back his identity. No one was looking for him, and there was little chance anyone would recognize his name. He had noticed some of the other prisoners had given false information. He wasn't sure if that would accomplish anything for him.  
  
"Chakotay, of New Earth." He said clearly.  
  
He and Kathryn had been calling their little planet that right from the beginning, because of the similarities between the two planets. New earth had a much larger land mass area than earth, and was smaller in size, but the gravity, animal life, and foliage resembled closely those of Earth's, so the name made sense.  
  
After the names had all been collected, the 'employees' were herded out into decontamination, and they began their work day.  
  
The work was just as ceaseless, and just as grueling as it had ever been, and the guards still overlooked all facets, and punished those who did not follow orders to the letter.  
  
In all, their new titles made no difference. It only meant that the Vidiian government had acknowledged the prisoners' existence. That was not a comforting thought.  
  
When the group was ushered back to the barracks, everyone collapsed exhausted, on their bunks.  
  
All that Chakotay and Rixan had to wait for was the change in guard shifts. Hopefully it would be a few more minutes. He wanted to give the tunnel guards a chance to leave the area, and get as far away as possible.  
  
He pretended to sleep each time a guard went past, and once they had moved out of hearing range, whispered encouragement to Rixan across the bunks.  
  
The buzzer sounded for the guards, after only a short time had elapsed.  
  
Chakotay was disappointed, but was going to try to make the best of it. He waited until every one of the guards had left the room, then he and Rixan stood up. Rixan pulled the small hammer out of his hidden panel, and they moved into position, flanking either side of the sliding door.  
  
The other prisoners stayed quiet. Most were probably sleeping. Those that noticed, probably figured they could use these two's escape to their advantage. Watch where they went, then follow them out.  
  
Chakotay and Rixan had told no one of their plans, for fear that one of the prisoners would inform the guards to earn themselves special treatment or a day off. According to rumor, it had happened before. They didn't want to press their luck.  
  
Voices behind the locked door warned the two of the impending battle, and the doors slid open.  
  
After such a long quiet bout, with no problems from any prisoners, the guards were caught unprepared. Chakotay was able to wrap his arm around the Vidiian's neck and pull, covering the mouth up, and extricating the phaser from the man's belt.  
  
Rixan bashed the next guard over the head with the hammer before he had a chance to react to the first guard's attack. By the time the man had hit the ground, Chakotay had fired the phaser at both the guard he had grabbed, and the guard behind him, who had been reaching for his own phaser at his waist.  
  
The three guards lay crumpled on the floor, and Chakotay stared at the weapon in his hand.  
  
"I hope they keep their phasers on stun. I don't like killing people. I've done enough of that in my lifetime to earn me a permanent posting as the devil's right hand man."  
  
"I know what you mean. Let me see that phaser."  
  
Rixan inspected the phaser, and handed it back. "You're in luck. Looks like they have a policy to keep it on the lowest setting necessary. We should get going. It won't be long before they wake up." The Talaxian man grabbed another phaser from one of the other unconcious guards.  
  
Chakotay grabbed the guard with the highest rank on his arm, and dragged his body over to the console.  
  
The man groaned, but didn't wake.  
  
He pressed the man's thumb to the space provided, and the print was accepted. He began to look for any ships they could use. For some reason, the scanners weren't working properly, but he could see that one set of docking clamps was in use. It wasn't a certainty that anything was there, but he didn't have time to call anyone else for help.  
  
He deactivated all the force fields between their exit tunnel, and docking bay four. Hopefully if a shuttle was there, it wouldn't be manned. The last thing he needed was to have to take along hostages for the ride home.  
  
He ensured the alarm would not sound by pressing the man's thumbprint to the console again.  
  
As they were crawling beneath the bed, and through the hole in the wall, a small voice came from behind them.  
  
"Can I help?"  
  
They spun around to see a young woman with ridges on her chin, and small green spots on her neck and forehead.  
  
"Do you know how to shoot?" Asked Chakotay.  
  
"Class one marksman at the Sertim academy." She said proudly.  
  
"Good. Grab the other guard's phaser, and follow us." Chakotay spoke a little louder than necessary, so everyone else knew they were allowed to come along at their own leisure.  
  
A few people stood up, and followed, but Chakotay honestly didn't bother to find out who, or how many. All he could think of was getting himself back to Kathryn, and making sure she had been left alone like he had been promised.  
  
Rixan went through the hole first. Chakotay had a little trouble pushing himself through, but in the end, the few jutting rocks that had snagged his jacket gave way, and he tumbled out into the dim mines.  
  
They had tested out this passage during the work shift. They didn't wait for the others to appear, and began running at full tilt, down the passageways. Their phasers drawn, and aimed ahead of them.  
  
'I pity any innocent man who gets caught in my sights.' Thought Chakotay.  
  
They turned left at the first junction, and right at the next. Weaving their way through the mining asteroid until an echoing sound made them halt, and take cover behind a large jutting rock.  
  
The sound in the caves was too uneven and awkward to comprehend what was being said, and Chakotay didn't even try to listen. A male voice, and a female voice made their way down the tunnels in the direction Chakotay and Rixan had just come.  
  
When the sounds faded away deeper into the mines, Chakotay and Rixan slowly pulled out of their hiding spots, and moved off in the direction of docking bay four.  
  
The yellow force field which normally stood in their way was gone, but it wouldn't be long before it went up again. The stunned guards would be waking within the next five minutes, and realizing just what had happened.  
  
They rushed between the field generators, and up to the door.  
  
A shuttle was waiting.  
  
They tried to peer inside, through the small window, and by the appearance of the darkened interior, it looked like it was running silent. Every system was at minimal output, so as not to be detected. It was perfect as an escape vehicle.  
  
"I'll bet they never expected anyone to get this far. That's why it was so easy for us after we had them stunned." Rixan was uncertain about their chances, and tried to assuage his own paranoia.  
  
"I think there's another reason we were able to reach this point, but I'm not waiting to find out."  
  
Chakotay pressed the same code as he had into the console, and the door opened. They ran inside, collapsing against the door as it closed automatically. They tried to watch out the small window for any other prisoners to show up behind them. No one did.  
  
"Wait here." Chakotay whispered. I'll go see if there's anyone aboard. You guard the door." He walked down a short corridor, stopped at a set of doors on his left, and slid them open, phaser at the ready. It looked like a living room-kitchen combined.  
  
No one was there.  
  
As he exited the room, he checked back with Rixan, and the two men nodded to each other.  
  
"Did you find him?" Came a hauntingly familiar voice.  
  
Chakotay whipped around too quickly and made himself dizzy.  
  
It wasn't real. Whatever he had been given in his rations was making him hallucinate.  
  
B'Elanna was sitting at the front of the shuttle, looking like an angel in her yellow and black uniform. She still hadn't looked up from the console, her back was facing him in the darkness.  
  
"B'Elanna?" His voice cracked with emotion, and he swayed drunkenly.  
  
Her eyes lifted in surprise. "Chakotay! She called, and stood up.  
  
The elation in her eyes, and her excited voice calling "Captain! He's here!" were the last things he could remember, before he fell to the deck in a faint.  
  
"Chakotay? Honey wake up." He could hear Kathryn's voice, and it felt like one of his dreams. He tried to remember how this dream ended, but nothing came to him.  
  
He tried to open his eyes, but his muscles would not obey his commands. He groaned, wincing slightly as the glare of lights filtered through the skin of his eyelids.  
  
"That's it Chakotay, come on back."  
  
He blinked, and turned his gaze to the sound of Kathryn's voice.  
  
She was here.  
  
Not just a dream, and not a hallucination. The real thing. And she was smiling at him. "Kathryn?" He muttered.  
  
"Hi there." She said, in what he had always referred to as her 'foxy lady' voice. It was deep, and sensual, with a hint of laughter behind it.  
  
"What happened?" He asked. "How?… B'Elanna?" He looked over her shoulder into the worried eyes of the half Klingon woman.  
  
"Yeah. They're here to help us out. Welcome aboard the Resolution. It's going to be our home for the next month, while we go back to Voyager."  
  
Back to Voyager.  
  
Chakotay had mixed emotions about going back there.  
  
There were many times on New Earth that he had wanted to be on Voyager with the rest of the crew, but he felt that going back would mean losing Kathryn.  
  
The Kathryn on Voyager had been obsessed with protocols, and reluctant to begin a relationship, for fear it would jeopardize her ability to command the ship properly.  
  
She seemed happy about it though, and that was really all that mattered to him. He sat up from the floor, and reached for her to pull her into a hug. They embraced for long moments, breathing in each other's scent.  
  
He felt the slight bulge of her stomach against his side, and lay his hand over it in greeting.  
  
"I missed you." He whispered.  
  
For a moment, Kathryn wasn't sure if he was talking to her, or to their unborn child. He leaned over and kissed her, briefly, but passionately, and she knew he meant them both.  
  
The sound of someone clearing their throat from just inside the doorway interrupted their moment of heartfelt reacquaintance.  
  
"Oh!" Said Chakotay. "Rixan!"  
  
"That's all right. No introductions are necessary. I assume, my dear that you ar the Kathryn I've heard so much about."  
  
"I'm pleased to meet you Rixan." She said, from her sitting position down beside Chakotay.  
  
B'Elanna, who had until now, been trying to avert her eyes, quickly shook Rixan's hand.  
  
"Rixan, I'm B'Elanna." She muttered, and came over to help the two commanding officers up off the floor.  
  
"Thank you." Chakotay pulled her into his embrace. Slapping her back heartily.  
  
"Chakotay, man, you've been busy since I saw you last." B'Elanna teased him.  
  
"That I have." He answered grinning easily.  
  
"We're going to have to hear the whole story, but first, we don't have much time to get out of here. What happened to Harry and Kes?" B'Elanna looked behind Rixan, as if expecting them to appear there magically in the corridor.  
  
"I would have thought you'd know more than me?" Chakotay countered, surprised at B'Elanna's remark  
  
"Oh oh. They went out to rescue you. You're saying you never met up with them?"  
  
"No."  
  
She slapped her comm badge. "Torres to Kim. Abort mission, I repeat abort mission."  
  
"Aye Maquis. Already done. On our way to you now." Harry's voice came back to her over the system.  
  
Less than twenty seconds later, Harry and Kes, and twelve other prisoners showed up at the door to the Resolution. All of them moving at a fast jog.  
  
It was just after they made it past the field emitters, that the alarm began to blare, and the yellow light of the force-field went back up.  
  
"Good timing," Belanna yelled over the din. "I've got the engines ready for takeoff. So hurry up, and get inside."  
  
"Hey Commander, good to see you, sir." Harry shook his hand jovially on his way past. "I found some of your friends. I told them they could come along."  
  
"The more, the merrier." Said Chakotay.  
  
The crowd of people piled into the small shuttle, and congregated in the living room/kitchen, which had been dubbed the common room.  
  
B'Elanna, Harry, Kes, Kathryn, and Chakotay all went out to the cockpit, and B'Elanna fired up the engines.  
  
The docking clamps wouldn't release. The ship was locked into place. Obviously they had overlooked that particular problem when they had planned the mission.  
  
Harry, manning the second station, shot the narrow beam phasers at a set of banded wires attached to the wall beside the shuttle. The clamp mechanism overloaded, sending a shower of sparks across the hull, and The Resolution slid deftly out of the docking bay.  
  
Two Vidiian ships set in pursuit. Phaser bolts cracked over the hull, and the little ship shook with the impacts. The pilots were obviously alone on the ships and probably slightly stunned still. They moved sluggishly, and frequently missed their target.  
  
"Chakotay take the conn." Yelled B'Elanna.  
  
"Aye sir." He teased her compulsion to take command.  
  
She looked over at the Captain. She was standing authoritatively with a frown on her face, and her arms crossed over her chest. "Sorry Captain. It's become a habit. Go ahead, and command her if you want.  
  
"Actually I think it makes more sense for you to stay in command for awhile. At least until I'm familiar with her schematics."  
  
"Good." The ship rocked, once more, and B'Elanna was reminded of her mission. "Excuse me."  
  
She went back to the wall console behind Kes' science station, and Keyed in the commands to activate the transwarp system.  
  
"Chakotay, set a course for four, seven, mark twenty two and engage at warp eight."  
  
"Engaging."  
  
"Now everyone grab on to something. This might feel a little strange."  
  
"Just a second." The Captain ran to the back room with their other passengers, and conveyed B'Elanna's message to hold on to something. None of their passengers knew what was going on, and she figured they would need to. She came back, and took a seat on the floor next to Chakotay, as all four of the cockpit chairs were occupied.  
  
The feeling of moving at transwarp Velocity was obviously one she wasn't prepared for.  
  
Dizziness made her slump to the floor, and groan, turning a pale olive complexion.  
  
"Kathryn? Are you all right?" The world had leveled out now, but it left her lightheaded, and sucking in deep even breaths.  
  
"In a minute, I will be."  
  
"We aren't being pursued." Harry called from the engineering and tactical station.  
  
"Good, now hold on, I'm going to shut it down again." B'Elanna's announcement made Kathryn cringe.  
  
The feeling wasn't as horrible as starting it up, but Kathryn still felt the lurch go right though her body.  
  
She put head between her knees, and breathed as deeply as she could to rid herself of the nausea.  
  
"I'm taking the engines out of warp." Chakotay said.  
  
He hit the necessary keys, and reached down to put his hand on Kathryn's shoulder.  
  
She looked up at him expectantly. He helped her stand up, and she swayed unsteadily on her feet. She was still slightly green, but was able to pull herself together quickly.  
  
She gave him a quick kiss, and turned to the rest of the crew.  
  
"We need to have a meeting." She walked quickly to the hallway, and into the common room.  
  
The rest of them followed her meekly.  
  
"It's nice to meet everyone. I'm Captain Kathryn Janeway. I'm going to help you get home. Is there anyone here who knows of a nearby transport station that does not contain any Vidiians?"  
  
The young Sertim woman spoke up. "My people run a space station just outside the Vidiian territory. I would be happy to show you where it is, and provide transports home for everyone from that location. With this ship, we could be there in less than a day."  
  
"Good. B'Elanna will show you how to work our systems, and you can key in that information. In the mean time, I have some catching up to do. B'Elanna, as soon as we have the course laid in, engage at whatever speed is necessary. Harry, If you could I want everyone to be issued comm badges for the meantime. I don't want to have to run around to issue the necessary orders."  
  
"Aye Captain." Everyone scurried around per her orders, and she tugged on Chakotay's arm, leading him out of the fray, and towards one of the bunkrooms.  
  
The first thing she did, when they were alone, was pull him to her, and kiss him the way she had wanted to ever since she had seen him in the cockpit.  
  
She had been in one of the bunkrooms across from the common room, when she had heard B'Elanna call for her. She had been out the door in less than a second, just in time to see his body hit the floor.  
  
She had been worried, but more relieved to see him, after so long away from him.  
  
Any doubts Chakotay had about Kathryn's intentions, vanished without a trace. He kissed her back with just as much vigour.  
  
When they were finally able to pull apart, they leaned against each other, touching forehead to forehead, and breathing heavily.  
  
"I want to know what happened." She said.  
  
"Where do I start?" He asked.  
  
"Back when you were taken."  
  
"When you were stunned, I was so scared." He began. "I thought first, that you were dead, that they'd killed you. I felt for a pulse, and it was strong, but I wasn't so sure for the baby. I was afraid that even though you were only stunned, the beam would harm our child."  
  
He took a deep, shuddering breath, recalling his frayed emotions when he had thought he had lost his child.  
  
"I was yelling at them, and one of the Vidiians pulled out a scanner of some type. I didn't know what it was at first. I thought he was going to hurt you. But he wasn't.  
  
He scanned you, and told his superior out loud, that you were indeed pregnant. I started thinking rationally again, after a few seconds, and told them some bull story about how women of my species get mentally unbalanced when they're pregnant. I told them you didn't understand what you had been doing when you reached for your phaser, and that it was an instinctive maternal reaction to a threat. He seemed to believe me.  
  
Once I realized what he was planning on doing with us, and that he had brought medicine with him to remove us from New Earth, I told him more lies about how women of our species are weakened by this condition, and wouldn't survive a week in a mining colony. Of course he guessed correctly that I was only trying to protect you, but I told him that you were useless to him as you were now. I said that aborting the child would kill you as well. You were due to give birth in seven months. I said that within eight, you would be back to full strength. I told him he could come back and get you at that time, but that you must be left alone until then. I figured I would be able to escape, and steal some more of their syrum before they came back for you."  
  
Chakotay lowered his eyes. "The thing I regretted most, was that I knew you were still not out of danger, that they would still be coming for you at some point. That thought gave me extra incentive to get out of those mines, and come back to you."  
  
Chakotay cradled Kathryn in his arms watching her reactions. She smiled at him, partly pleased that he had sacrificed himself to save her, and partly annoyed at him for the same reason.  
  
"I told the leader of the Vidiian party, that I wouldn't let anyone touch you, and that you must wake in the cabin, or you would be confused, and unable to find your way back to the cabin. He let me carry you back. When I picked you up, I pulled one of the cave flower leaves with you.  
  
I found the Odyssey on the bed, and I slipped it under your arm with the leaf when no one was looking. I figured you might understand. I didn't want you to worry about me too much."  
  
"I did understand, but I worried anyway." She kissed him again, and he pushed her shoulders lightly so they leaned down on the mattress together.  
  
"How did you find me?" He wanted to know. "What made them come back for us?"  
  
"Kes did her research before she left Voyager. It was because of her and Neelix and a Vidiian contact in their senate. It's a long story, and I think it's best saved for later. All we need to know about them coming back for us is that a Vidiian Captain tried to fix all the wrongs of their society, and here we are. Don't worry. We're going to have to get everyone together for a storytelling session."  
  
"It's been such a long time, and so much has happened. My brain is still telling me that none of what's transpired is real."  
  
"I know what you mean." She smiled sweetly. "Who knew, thirteen months ago, that this is where we would be now."  
  
He lay his hand over the baby they had made together, feeling it's size only for the second time. When he had been taken from New Earth, the baby had only been a blip on the tricorder.  
  
"Everyone has changed so much. I'll bet it was awkward when the resolution showed up."  
  
"It was, a bit. I never considered that they would come back for us. I didn't even think what it would be like raising a child, and being Captain at the same time. I haven't had much time to absorb it, but I think with you there to help, It might be all right."  
  
He knew it had cost her to admit that she needed his help. She still didn't sound certain that that was what she wanted, but it was a beginning. At least she was honest about everything.  
  
"I love you Kathryn." He whispered.  
  
"I love you too."  
  
*Still not quite finished. Won't be long now. (* 


	5. Kes's Story

1 Disclaimer: Everyone and everything in this story, is the property of Paramount. I just let their ideas ramble on a bit longer than the hour that they confine themselves to.  
  
1.1.1.1  
  
1.1.1.2 Kes' Story  
  
Kes missed Neelix.  
  
While on Voyager, she had begun to take his presence for granted. Here on the Resolution, his presence was sorely lacking, and she felt it deep in her bones.  
  
While she had been enclosed with only Harry and B'Elanna, the trip hadn't seemed so empty. But with the Captain and Commander on board, everything changed.  
  
Everything the command team did together was seen in a whole new light, whether they were flirting together, or not. Their actions were now construed as a form of emotional bonding.  
  
They would be sitting beside each other in the common room, reading padds, and trying to learn everything they could about the new shuttle, when they would suddenly find themselves alone. Everyone else figured their physical closeness was an indication to leave them by themselves. It wasn't at all what they wanted. Kes had realized. But the image of the two of them together evoked too many memories of the people they had left behind on Voyager. And it had seemed the respectable thing to do at the time.  
  
The command team didn't want to be alone in their own world anymore.  
  
Kes knew about this, due to the brief moments of telepathic contact that she was sometimes able to reach. And from her experiences over the last day, with them on board. She hadn't intended to listen in to their thoughts, but sometimes, little things like that just slipped through.  
  
She had felt their loneliness.  
  
Of course, when they were with each other, it made a vast difference from the loneliness they had felt for those dreaded two months. Kes had sensed that they didn't feel like they fit in here anymore, and everyone they remembered had become strangers to them.  
  
They had just spent a year confined to a planet where the only other person was each other. They wanted to be together, but not if it meant the tearing down of their old friendships. She could feel the Captain beginning to waver in her devotion to Chakotay, and that scared Kes. It wasn't that she loved him any less, it was that she didn't think a relationship aboard Voyager would work if people were constantly seeing tender moments that weren't there.  
  
She had been brought up in a world where relationships were something that didn't happen between a captain and her first officer, and she felt like it was wrong for her to love him so much. The deep affection between them went against every rule she had ever been taught.  
  
She had fought it back on Voyager, and Kes sensed that she had begun to fight it again now.  
  
Kes had taken on the role of counselor for everyone aboard, so it was up to her to reassure the Captain, and make sure she saw the matter objectively. No matter how much the telling made her miss Neelix's comforting presence.  
  
Sometimes, Kes' telepathic skills were more of a hindrance than a help to her newfound career as a psychologist. She knew that people had to want to help themselves before anything would change. Many a time, Kes had offended someone right from the beginning, because she didn't let them state their problems, she already knew what they were so she just told them how to fix it. Sometimes the matter had to be addressed delicately, or the patient would be scared off.  
  
Kes was also going to have to update the medical files for the captain and commander. And to do so, she would need to give them both physicals, and she could use the examination as a basis for helping them out psychologically.  
  
She called the Captain into one of the bunkrooms.  
  
"Captain, I'm afraid I was asked, a month ago by the doctor, to do a physical examination of both you and the Commander when you were retrieved. I know how much you hate them, but it is necessary."  
  
The Captain sighed. "I understand. You might as well get on with it. We can get it over with, and when Chakotay gets out of the sonic shower, you can tell him the good news." She smiled.  
  
Kes got her to lie down on the lowest bunk, and ran the medical scanner over her body, starting with her head, pausing slightly at the bulge in her waist, and moving the little flashing light right down over her feet.  
  
She snapped the scanner into place in the tricorder, and it began to analyze the readings.  
  
Kes hesitated for a moment as she pretended to take some additional notes on the tricorder, but decided that the best form of action would be to tell her outright what she had felt.  
  
"Captain, I was meditating last night, and I have something I'd like to discuss with you."  
  
The Captain looked wary. "What is it?"  
  
"It's to do with what I felt between you and the Commander. I know you're pushing him away again. I'm afraid we're partly to blame for your insecurities. I just wanted to tell you that we don't mean to be evasive when it comes to your feelings, and that this relationship between you is just something new that we have to get used to. The feeling will pass Captain, just give us time to adjust our thinking."  
  
The Captain's face was a wash of emotions. Fist she felt anger at Kes' invasion of her thoughts, then she looked confused, then surprised, and relieved.  
  
"I understand." She said taking Kes' hand and squeezing it.  
  
"Thank you." Said Kes. "I know how you feel about him, probably more than anyone else. I wouldn't want you to feel like you were making a mistake. Because you aren't. Be happy Captain. Things will get better." She smiled, and helped the Captain sit up.  
  
"Oop!" Said the Captain, and she jumped slightly, her hand going to her stomach. "Baby's moving." She said, wide eyed.  
  
She reached out towards Kathryn's distended belly. "May I?" She inquired hesitantly.  
  
"Of course." The Captain took her hand and placed it lightly over the bulge.  
  
Kes was amazed at the feeling. As an Ocampan, she had always been slightly curious about the way human women bore their young on their fronts.  
  
Ocampans had the foetal sack attached to their back, and consequently, carried their children piggyback style for a comparably short span of three months.  
  
The first time she had seen this type of conception had been with Ensign Samantha Wildman, who had been pregnant with her daughter Naomi, when Voyager had been lost in the Delta quadrant.  
  
She remembered seeing some of the older Ocampan women who were pregnant, and personally, she preferred the human way. To have the child always that close to a hug would be thrilling. She remembered hearing one of her mother's pregnant friends tell her that it was always in the way when she sat down, and complained that she couldn't see it at all, unless she looked in a mirror.  
  
"There." Kathryn's stomach shifted again, and Kes felt the baby push against her hand.  
  
"Very strange." Said Kes. "It must feel very odd to have something that large inside you."  
  
"It is." Said the Captain. "And this isn't anywhere near full size yet. It's only going to get bigger."  
  
They both sat for another minute in silence, before the door chime sounded, and their spellbound moment was broken.  
  
"Come in." Said Kathryn.  
  
"Hey there." Said Chakotay, as he walked into the room.  
  
He and Kathryn had shared this room during the last sleep cycle, and the other three crewmen had moved their things into bunkroom two.  
  
The thirteen escaped prisoners from the mines had been dropped off at the Sertim space station only five hours ago, and the Resolution was quickly being restocked in space dock. The young Sertim woman had been true to her word, and arranged for free transport for each.  
  
There had been a heartfelt goodbye between Chakotay and Rixan, and every one of the escapees had thanked the Voyagers profusely with affectionate hugs, and gifts from the Sertim station.  
  
They had traded everything they could to show their thanks. It was almost impossible for the crew to accept them. One man had traded his shoes and shirt just to give the Voyagers a beautiful rug "to place on the common room floor." He would not accept that words were enough, and had shoved the rug into Chakotay's arms emphatically.  
  
Now Chakotay crept in to the crowded bunkroom, his hair gleaming from his recent shower, and smiled devilishly at the present occupants. "I hear that I'm needed for a physical?" He said.  
  
"Yes commander. I was just updating our medical logs. I need to know about any injuries you might have suffered in the past year. I'm almost done with the Captain."  
  
"Oh I'll come back then." He turned to walk back out, but the Captain's voice interrupted him.  
  
"He can stay, can't he?" She asked. "I don't mind, and we wanted to ask you something."  
  
"I don't see why not." Kes smiled at him, and motioned to him to join the Captain on the bed.  
  
He sat beside her.  
  
The Captain looked hesitantly at Kes. "Our medical tricorder on New Earth wasn't functioning properly. A storm we had damaged it. All we could tell was that I was pregnant, and that nothing was significantly wrong with it. We were wondering--- about the sex of our baby."  
  
Kes' face broke into a delighted smile. "It's a boy. Very healthy too, from what I can see."  
  
The command team hugged each other, genuinely pleased, and relieved that they were finally able to say something other than 'It' when referring to their baby.  
  
"I noticed evidence of osteoregeneration in your arm. Did you break it at some point Captain?"  
  
"I fell off the roof of our cabin about six months ago. I think you'll find that Chakotay has a similar abraision near his left ankle joint."  
  
"You fell off the roof too?"  
  
"No, I fell through the roof."  
  
Kes winced in appreciation. "Ouch." She said, scrunching up her face.  
  
"It hurt all right. But nothing I couldn't take." He grinned.  
  
"I'm sure Kes thinks you're macho enough already. No need to puff yourself up more." Kathryn nudged him in the ribs. "If you're done looking at my insides, and nothing seems to be wrong, I'll just go back to the common room to smell B'Elanna's coffee." She sniffed at the fragrant air, which had wafted through the ventilation system.  
  
"I need to examine Commander Chakotay anyhow."  
  
Captain Janeway left the room, leaving a light peck on Chakotay's lips. He smiled, as his thoughts strayed for a moment.  
  
"Kes." Chakotay composed himself, and changed the timbre of his voice. Making her understand that the subject had changed, and that he wanted her to pay attention. "Before we begin, I've asked Kathryn, but she says it's your story to tell. I wanted to know what exactly happened that made it possible for you to track me down?"  
  
"Back on Voyager," she began, "Each of the affected crewmen were asked what they would want if they could have one gift from Captain Solotek. B'Elanna asked for the transwarp technology that made it possible to get here so quickly. Tom took his cue from B'Elanna, and got the medicine that was necessary to allow you two off the planet."  
  
"I've already heard this part. I asked B'Elanna about it." Said Chakotay, eager to cut to the newer parts of the story.  
  
"Well Neelix, being who he was, wanted to make his request just right. He took a little longer to decide than Tom or B'Elanna, and he wanted it to be something no one else would have thought of. Something to help us on our mission. A just in case measure for when unexpected things happened.  
  
What Solotek said about the recent actions of the central Vidiians really scared him. Neelix and I discussed it, and we decided that the most important thing for everyone, was to have contacts throughout the Vidiian senate. His request to Solotek was to give him the names of some people whom we could trust implicitly and how to contact them without the main body of the senate hearing.  
  
We were given a code to transmit that the New Order Vidiians, as they were calling themselves, and they in turn, would know to send a messenger to some designated co-ordinates."  
  
"How many Vidiians are part of this New Order?" Chakotay interrupted.  
  
"Solotek said he was one of about seven hundred. A minor part of their society, but they have been pretty effective, working in secret for about six months to restore the old Vidiian ways."  
  
She went back to the original subject with a sigh. "When we found out you were missing, I pulled up the information, and transmitted the code, as ordered, to the Vidiian senate.  
  
We received the proper answering code, and proceeded to the rendez-vous point. A young Vidiian woman met us there. We gave her the information about your disappearance, and she said she would do what she could to help us out. She told us to meet her the following day at a small out of the way moon.  
  
The morning after, which was yesterday before you were rescued, we met her, and she said she had discovered where you were most likely being held, and were still alive. She gave us the information we needed to bypass the asteroid scanning systems, and told us that the rest was up to us."  
  
"They asked me who I was." He said. "I didn't think I had any reason to lie about it."  
  
"A good thing you told the truth then. We would never have found you if you hadn't."  
  
"Thank you Kes. I wouldn't have had a chance at escape, if you hadn't been there at just that moment." Chakotay had never been one to downplay his emotions, and he smiled warmly at her now. "Go ahead." He said, rolling down to his back. "Scan away."  
  
"You're much more agreeable to this than the Captain is." She said, pulling out her tricorder again.  
  
She repeated the performance of scanning her patient, and quickly assessed his present condition.  
  
The broken ankle had been set and regenerated properly, so nothing further needed to be done there. She ran a dermal regenerator over a few minor cuts and bruises he had received in the mines, and treated him for some muscular strain in his shoulders and lower back.  
  
"Carrying those rocks around was like lifting anvils. I'm pretty sure they were a metal of some type. Because they weighed much more than they should have." Chakotay grumbled his annoyance loudly while she worked.  
  
"Torres to Chakotay." His comm badge chirped interrupting his treatment.  
  
"What can I do for you B'Elanna?"  
  
"I'm reading three Vidiian ships on long range sensors. The Captain has ordered us to pack up and leave space dock now. Just thought you should be kept informed. I wasn't sure if you wanted to make any last trades before we left."  
  
"No. I think we have everything we really need. If everyone is safely back on board, go ahead."  
  
"We're going to transwarp as soon as possible, so sit tight. I know that not everyone enjoys the feeling of the leap. It doesn't get much better when we modulate the signal either."  
  
He chuckled a little at B'Elanna's tone. She sounded like she was about to be led to the gallows. "Why do I get the feeling that you're speaking from personal experience here?"  
  
"That's because I am. I think I saw the Captain turn a little green from her short experience with it too. She and I are going to be fighting for the bathroom all the way home."  
  
"I can't wait." He rolled his eyes.  
  
Kes interrupted. "If that's the case, I'm going to administer something to keep the contents of your stomachs intact before we even get going. I wouldn't want you to become dizzy and unable to perform your duties."  
  
"Thanks Kes." She said. "You'd better do it soon though, we're about to jump."  
  
"I'll be there in a moment."  
  
Kes and Chakotay both stood, and walked out of the bunkroom.  
  
All five crew gathered in the cockpit. Kathryn had brought in two extra chairs, and bolted them to the floor near the rear wall consoles. Even if not everyone was working, she had wanted them to be comfortable during the leap, and she didn't want to be relegated to the common room if she could help it. She wanted to know what was happening.  
  
Kes quickly filled two hyposprays, and injected B'Elanna and the Captain.  
  
Everyone took their seats. Chakotay and B'Elanna sat at the pilot, and tactical stations. Kes at the science station, and the Captain and Harry in the newer, taller, chairs at the back stations.  
  
Harry sat near the transwarp system, and prepared to engage it on Chakotay's mark.  
  
Chakotay maneuvered the Resolution out of spacedock, and B'Elanna kept tabs on the three Vidiian ships, which were closing fast.  
  
They looked like battleships. Much more heavily armed than the two small security ships that had chased them out of the asteroid field.  
  
From what she had been told of Vidiian ships, She knew that generally, battleships were also equipped with transwarp coils.  
  
A problem she was not eager to solve.  
  
"Captain, If we go to transwarp now, these ships will be able to follow us all the way to Voyager. They're equipped with the same kind of transwarp coils as we are."  
  
The captain was pleased to be once again in charge, and B'Elanna was thankful that she didn't have to make these kinds of decisions anymore.  
  
"Will they be able to catch up to us?"  
  
"Most likely not Captain. They will only be able to go the same speed as us."  
  
"What about their weapons. Would we be able to take them on?"  
  
"We're pretty heavily outgunned captain. These battleships have almost every kind of weapon available to the Vidiian people on board. It's best to try and avoid conflict."  
  
"Then go to transwarp anyhow. We still have a long journey ahead of us. I don't know how persistent these guys are, and it's possible they won't want to follow us all the way back. If they do, then let's hope Voyager is ready to help us out. The extra firepower of Voyager's weapons might just do the trick."  
  
As usual, the Captain's ability so see all possible solutions to everything was uncompromised.  
  
Chakotay engaged the warp engines, and the Resolution streamed away.  
  
"Harry, we have achieved warp eight. I've keyed in Voyager's last known co-ordinates. Go to transwarp now." Chakotay called, and Harry obligingly activated the coils, and set the modulation.  
  
The Captain gripped her chair, but said nothing.  
  
B'Elanna swayed, and leaned against her console. "I don't feel sick this time, just dizzy." She groaned.  
  
"Same here." Said the captain tensely. "Are they following us."  
  
"It looks like they're preparing to go to transwarp, and they've changed course to follow suit." B'Elanna's console had beeped proximity warnings at her continuously. It was set to warn her if any ships within scanning range moved closer than they had been at any time. When they jumped to transwarp, the alarm had silenced.  
  
A few seconds after her announcement, it had given one single beep of warning. "They've jumped to transwarp. They're definitely following us." She sighed.  
  
"I'm afraid I'm not much good here anymore." Chakotay said as he stood from his station. "I can't really do anything until I get some practical lessons."  
  
"I have to take over now anyway. The transwarp coil frequency has to be modulated manually. I'll do that until you feel more comfortable in the pilot's chair.—not that you ever do." She added teasingly.  
  
"Hey. I'll have you know that I have not crashed a shuttle in a whole year." Chakotay said indignantly.  
  
"During which time, you kept your unlucky butt out of federation shuttlecrafts."  
  
"Not true!" He joked. "I went and sat in our class nine once or twice."  
  
B'Elanna just smirked. "While it was still safely stuck to the ground." She turned to Harry and Kes, and changed the subject. If you two want to go and get some sleep, I can give Commander Hopeless and the Captain a quick practical lesson on flying at transwarp."  
  
"Thank you." Kes stood up from her chair. "I don't think I've slept in thirty hours or more." She and Harry left the cockpit to move into the second bunk room.  
  
Harry went into the common room to change, and by the time he returned, Kes was tucked under the covers on the lowest of the three bunks.  
  
"You always get the bottom bunk." He complained.  
  
"You sound just like Naomi Wildman." She giggled at him.  
  
"So I'm feeling a little childish. Everyone has a little kid in them somewhere." He grumbled, and climbed up the wall ladder to the second bunk.  
  
Kes felt him settle in above her, and the shuttle modulated beneath her.  
  
After a few quiet moments, He spoke to her in a whisper. "Do you miss Neelix?" He asked.  
  
"Yes." She said quietly. "And I know you miss Jenny."  
  
"I didn't know you knew about that." He said, sounding surprised. "Oh but of course…" He trailed off.  
  
"Sorry. I forget not to listen sometimes." She said.  
  
"It's all right, it's in your nature. You spend half your time apologizing to everyone for listening. Maybe it's time we accepted you for who you are. Anyhow, my relationship to Jenny Delaney should have been old news by now. We've been trying too hard to keep it a secret."  
  
"I'm glad you've finally realized that."  
  
"I'll see you in the morning." He said groggily.  
  
"Good night." Kes rolled over under the covers, and went to sleep.  
  
*Don't get disappointed that this is the end, because it isn't* 


	6. Tom's Story

1 Disclaimer: Everyone and everything in this story, is the property of Paramount. I just let their ideas ramble on a bit longer than the hour that they confine themselves to.  
  
1.1.1.1 Tom's Story  
  
Tom Paris tapped his fingers nervously on the armrest of the first officer's chair.  
  
His eyes darted to the front of the bridge, where an ensign pressed commands into the pilot's console.  
  
He knew that if he was forced to remain in this position much longer, he would go insane, and Tom Paris would no longer be the first officer aboard Voyager, but a writhing mass of twitching muscles and stagnant brain cells puddled there on the floor of the bridge.  
  
Everyone and everything was driving him crazy.  
  
When he flew, his brain felt some sort of movement, as if he had become the ship itself, and was making some kind of progress. The political nature of the first officer's job had never suited him, and he longed to be back at the helm.  
  
Problems of crew disputes, and personnel mix-ups were never his forte. He took care of this bird's directions and never with the rumbling of it's bowels.  
  
Once a pilot, always a pilot.  
  
It hadn't been so bad with only the Captain and Chakotay gone. Sure he missed the banter on the bridge, and the pool games hadn't been nearly as lively, but he still had Harry and B'Elanna then.  
  
For the past two months, as far as he was concerned, he was the only 'fun' person left in the senior staff. To be left alone in an enclosed space with no one for joviality or comfort except Tuvok, Neelix, and the doctor was not his idea of a fun time.  
  
The young ensigns and junior lieutenants that had replaced everyone were too eager to perform perfectly, and too easily coerced. They had no real place on Voyager's bridge, and they never would.  
  
They knew it too. Ensign Ashmore hadn't said a word since his shift began. That was the way Tuvok liked it, and that was the way things were going to be run. Whether Tuvok was on duty or not.  
  
Tom clicked his fingers once more. Rolling them from the thumb and first digit down to his pinkie, as if he were playing a piano.  
  
B'Elanna was almost constantly on his mind. Whatever he did, the first thought that asserted itself in his mind was always; 'I wish B'Elanna were here to see this. She would've loved it.' Or 'B'Elanna would've hated this.'  
  
He had really begun to bond with her, and their relationship had smoothed out a little. At the beginning, it had been rough. She really missed the Captain and Commander, and it was difficult to get the truth out of her. She tried to cover everything up with aggression, anger, and faked hatred.  
  
He could feel her pain, and was loathe to leave her to wallow in her misery. He had become just as argumentative and aggressive, and she had finally opened up to him in a fit of passionate rage.  
  
The sparks of tension between them had exploded into a deeper understanding and trust. And love.  
  
Tom couldn't stand not knowing where she was and how she was doing.  
  
Had she found her lost friends?  
  
Would he be able to help her through this if she hadn't?  
  
He almost didn't want to know. It was better to imagine his commanding officers happy and alive on some beautiful oasis of a planet, than to know for sure that they had died and were rotting away there on that far away sphere.  
  
"Sir. I'm reading something on long range scanners. It's the Resolution." The Junior Lieutenant at Harry's station sounded excited, and his voice cracked slightly with lack of use.  
  
Tom sat up rigid in his seat. "How far away are they?"  
  
"It looks like they're still about three hours away. They'll be within comm range in about two and a half."  
  
"Lieutenant Paris to Captain Tuvok." He hit his comm badge, and hailed the Vulcan.  
  
"Tuvok here." His stoic voice came over the line. Tom knew he had just been asleep, but it didn't show in the timbre of his voice.  
  
"We've got the Resolution on scanners. I thought you should know. We should have contact in about two point five hours."  
  
"Thank you lieutenant. I'll be on the bridge shortly. Tuvok out."  
  
Tom was too excited to be annoyed that the Captain didn't think he could deal with this on his own for awhile.  
  
Before B'Elanna had left, she and Lieutenant Joe Carey, her second in command, had arranged a way to detect the Resolution a little earlier than they normally would have. They connected the communications matrix of the Resolution to the same frequency as the deflector dish on Voyager's lower drive. It also meant that the range of communication had been extended by about half a lightyear.  
  
B'elanna and Joe had known that people would be eager to hear news, whether it be good or bad. It wasn't all that difficult a job, so they had hooked up this network in their spare time to save people fifteen minutes of anxiety.  
  
This was going to be the longest two and a half hour wait he had ever had.  
  
While he waited, he counted off all the things that he would lose when those people came back.  
  
His post as first officer. Not such a horrible thing to get rid of. He would be back at the helm, and Chakotay would be sitting where he was now. Less hassles with the crew, and more flying.  
  
His current standing as pool champion of Voyager. Finally, a worthy opponent would return in the form of the Captain. As far as he remembered, she was unbeaten as of yet. But she had been sequestered on the Command Planet for the past year. Not much of a chance she had been practicing her pool shot in that time. Tom relished the chance to show off his title, and it was a title he was eager to pit against a previous rival.  
  
He would lose his solitude. Thank goodness for that. Tom had always been a people person, and these two months without interaction from a close friend like Harry or a kiss (or bite, for that matter) from B'Elanna had been his undoing. He was hardly even a person anymore.  
  
He would lose nothing he didn't want lost to begin with.  
  
He smiled easily now. Even when Tuvok walked onto the bridge after fifteen minutes.  
  
Everyone sat in their chairs expectantly awaiting news from the away mission.  
  
After the first hour, He was starting to get anxious again.  
  
Especially when Lieutenant Parson's console began to bleep. "Captain, They're not alone." Said Harry's replacement. "I'm picking up three Vidiian ships, heavily armed, in pursuit of the Resolution."  
  
"Honour guard?" Asked Tom hopefully.  
  
"After how many problems Voyager has caused the Vidiian Senate in the past, I doubt it." Tuvok's eyebrow raised and he gave Tom the look that meant he should not get his hopes up.  
  
"Attackers?" He almost whispered the word.  
  
"Most definitely." Said Tuvok.  
  
Tom still itched to go over flight maneuver patterns in his head when he heard about the threat of oncoming battle. He had to quench the desire to run to the conn and shove the hapless ensign Ashmore out of the way.  
  
Instead he directed his mind to what he was supposed to be doing as first officer in this scenario.  
  
"Do we have enough time to run a battle drill?" He asked.  
  
Tuvok was proud of the way Tom was able to handle the job he had been assigned. He might not like it, but he would do his duty for the sake of the ship. He would continue to do so as long as he was needed. It was a far cry from the man who had come aboard Voyager four years ago.  
  
"A prudent precaution. I will continue to monitor the Resolution's position, and I will keep you apprised. We have less than an hour. If you can set one up, and run it in that time frame, then I will allow a battle simulation."  
  
"I probably won't be able to run a practical drill, but we can have a department meeting and discuss probable outcomes." Tom said uncertainly to Tuvok.  
  
"I agree. Please report your findings to me."  
  
Tom leapt from his seat, and got to work. Had it been Captain Janeway in charge, she would have been the one in the thick of the drill. She wouldn't have just asked him to deal with it, and report his findings. He spared one last thought of annoyance at Tuvok's command style, as he had over the past year, then gave in and did what he had to do  
  
After running through various scenarios with the heads and temporary heads of departments in the briefing room, he was pleased with the result, and he walked back to the bridge.  
  
He walked in just as the comm link was set up, and he heard B'Elanna's voice before he saw her face.  
  
He practically ran out the door and to his station, which was… next to Tuvok, not the conn. He veered back when he realized his mistake, and sat in the First Officer's chair.  
  
He had thought himself broken of that habit. He had thought wrong.  
  
"I wish we could talk more about personal matters," said B'Elanna," but I wanted you to know that we're being followed by three Vidiian Battleships. We will need assistance once we arrive at Voyager. Our weapons are no match for these ships."  
  
"And one Federation starship is hardly a match for three Vidiian Battle cruisers. I do not see how it would be possible to neutralise them" Tuvok's logic was impeccable, as usual.  
  
"I don't think they realize our secret weapon." Said B'Elanna excitedly.  
  
Tuvok was wary. "And what secret weapon are you referring to?"  
  
B'Elanna just smiled and slid out of the pilot's seat.  
  
Captain Janeway sat down in her place. "This one." B'Elanna answered, leaning over her shoulder, just inside the range of the screen.  
  
"Tuvok. It's nice to see you again." The Captain said, grinning from ear to ear.  
  
"I am relieved to find you well Captain." Tuvok said stoically.  
  
Tuvok was probably the only one on the bridge who hadn't let out a deep breath that had been held for the last two months. Being Vulcan, he felt no need for emotional greetings with long lost friends. The Captain understood.  
  
She turned back to the invisible B'Elanna. "Thank you so much for that lovely introduction. We'll have more time for pleasantries later. Why don't we get down to business then? I have an Idea," she began, "wherin two of the Vidiian ships are neutralised before they reach Voyager. The other one, we can try to take out the old fashioned way."  
  
"Continue." Said Tuvok, interested.  
  
"We've been tracking the Vidiian ships ever since we left, and I have some kind of idea as to how they'll want to arrange themselves. We can follow their movements and predict where they will end up in the next five seconds."  
  
She proceeded to issue orders as if she had never left Voyager, and Tuvok interjected here and there with some questions and ideas of his own.  
  
'She's baaaack.' Thought Tom with relief.  
  
By the time the whole plan had been explained, the Resolution was about to come out of transwarp. There was no time to talk about personal matters or tell stories at all. They would have to wait.  
  
The moment arrived, when the three ships were appropriately aligned in a triangle with two ships leading, and one ship lagging behind.  
  
The Captain theorized that this was because they didn't want to burn out the transwarp coil of any one of the ships. The way they arranged themselves meant two ships would keep the corridor at the correct modulation, and the third would simply slipstram along behind it.  
  
Had the resolution been larger, it might have required a similar respite from constant use. The shuttle's smaller size, meant it was less likely to burn out, and more likely to hold the transwarp corridor steady, as long as it was modulated correctly.  
  
"Powering down transwarp engines." He heard B'Elanna's voice in the background, and the sensor reading he was getting of the Resolution slowed to high warp.  
  
"Releasing benazyte gas." Chakotay's voice came from somewhere to the left of the Captain. A cloud of benazyte particles began to slowly trickle out a hatch in the stern of the shuttle, and Tom listened intently for any sounds of conversation amongst the shuttle crew.  
  
A few seconds passed.  
  
"The transwarp field is collapsed. They have all been thrown into normal space." B'Elanna called loudly over a crash and some crackling sounds. "Our coils have both gone on the fritz."  
  
Harry could be seen just at the side of the screen over the captain's shoulder. "The two leading Vidiian ships have been disabled, Captain, as we suspected…Intercept Voyager in five seconds." He called. "I'm reading the third undamaged ship setting a pursuit course."  
  
"Dropping out of warp." The captain reached across her console, brought the shuttle out of warp, and engaged the impulse drive with the same fluid motion of her hand.  
  
'She hasn't lost her touch.' Thought Tom with a smile. Captain Janeway was probably the only other person he truly trusted at the conn of any ship.  
  
Chakotay, on the other hand, had a tendency to crash shuttles.  
  
In fact the first time Chakotay had seen Voyager, he decided to use his own Maquis ship, the 'Liberty', as a ram against the attacking enemy Kazon.  
  
He had saved Voyager, but the Liberty was destroyed. That was only what started Chakotay's bad luck streak with piloting ships. He had crashed at least four others during his time here on Voyager that Tom could remember.  
  
No one else had come close to matching that.  
  
Tom felt he didn't have to explain his mistrust of the big man's flying skills.  
  
He watched as the Captain led the one remaining Vidiian ship on a wild goose chase. Taking her straight towards Voyager. She pulled some interesting stunts, but Tom could see that she wasn't entirely back to her old self when it came to avoidance maneuvers  
  
She was good, but she wasn't that good. She was still out of practice.  
  
A few jolts of fire from the Vidiian's energy weapons got through the shields, and the image shook uncontrollably.  
  
Chakotay read off his monitor. "Shields are down to seventy eight percent, and falling."  
  
Tuvok indicated to Lieutenant Parson, and Ensign Ashmore. "Track their progress and engage to intercept the Vidiian Battleship."  
  
Voyager moved forward, and the viewscreen was switched from the interior scene of the Resolution to a star studded backdrop, where two ships battled for a lost cause.  
  
Chakotay's voice could be heard over the image. "Shields down to fifty percent."  
  
"We've lost the port nacelle. Navigational control is off line." B'Elanna yelled. "I'll see what I can do, but I'm not guaranteeing anything."  
  
The Captain called out to Tuvok now. "Voyager, can you get a tractor beam on us? We don't have much time. We're losing hull integrity."  
  
"Shields down to fourty percent." Chakotay called.  
  
"We're on our way Captain."  
  
Lieutenant Parsons called out his actions. "I'm attempting to lock onto them with a tractor beam and draw them to safety."  
  
"Lieutenant Ayala," Tuvok addressed the Tactical Officer, "Lock phasers on to the Vidiian Ship, and fire at will."  
  
The Vidiian ship rolled and turned around to attack it's new predator. Voyager was able to catch the Resolution in it's tractor beam, and drag it into one of the empty shuttle bays.  
  
Voyager's weapons were a little more evenly matched to the awesome firepower of the Vidiian ship, and both sides of the fray sustained light damage.  
  
"Ensign, Initiate evasive pattern gamma four."  
  
Voyager did a quick roll and feint, and the energy bolts sliced past the hull missing their targets by mere centimetres  
  
The doors from the turbolift slid open, and four people walked out.  
  
As soon as she was in the room, the Captain began calling orders.  
  
"Tuvok, Take over at tactical. Tom, get back where you belong." Harry and B'Elanna tapped their temps on the shoulders, and they sat in their respective chairs at Ops, and Engineering.  
  
Tom didn't look up as he ran to take his seat, but he could suddenly feel the presences of the people around him. He focused his mind on the control readings.  
  
He cracked his knuckles menacingly, and began to enter evasive flight path codes into the computer.  
  
"Target their shield generator." Came the Captain's voice. It was comforting for Tom just to know she was there.  
  
"Their shields are down to fifty six percent." Harry called.  
  
"They're firing torpedoes." From Chakotay  
  
"Evasive maneuvers." She responded.  
  
Voyager shuddered with one impact. The other two torpedoes slid past without doing any damage.  
  
Chakotay called out to Harry to reinforce the structural integrity, and sparks flew over B'Elanna's head.  
  
"Target their weapons and fire," The Captain called.  
  
Tuvok aimed the phasers at the lower tail of the Ship where most of the fire seemed to be coming from. Two streams of bright blue light circled Voyager's phaser banks, and collided, shooting outwards directly toward the Vidiian ship.  
  
All of a sudden, everything stopped.  
  
"Their weapons have been disabled, Captain." Tuvok's voice held a note of confidence, and strength.  
  
"They're retreating." Said Harry.  
  
"Tom set a course. You know which direction to go. Warp six. Take us away from here."  
  
"Aye Captain!" He said it with an exhuberance that seemed to echo around the bridge. Tom noticed in a moment, that there was no sound other than that of the bleep his fingers made, touching his own console.  
  
He turned expectantly toward the Captain and Commander… And gaped.  
  
They were holding hands.  
  
And she was pregnant.  
  
In all of Tom's wildest dreams, he had never considered that they would become so close as to… He'd noticed their flirting before, and saw that they were becoming very good friends, but being the son of an Admiral had made Tom expect certain things of his Commanding offficers.  
  
Being pregnant wasn't one of them.  
  
Women who commanded starships tended to either have children as ensigns or lieutenants. That way their families were already full by the time they made Commander or Captain. Either that or they waited until admiralty to start a family.  
  
Captains rarely got pregnant.  
  
Obviously, they did if they thought they would never captain another ship.  
  
"Tom, kindly pick your jaw up off the floor. I don't appreciate littering on the bridge." She grinned maliciously at him.  
  
"Captain?" He asked, as if he weren't really sure it was her.  
  
His eyes swung over to Harry, who had his hand over his mouth, and was giggling profusely at Tom through his clasped fingers.  
  
They panned back over to B'Elanna, who had a broad teasing smile on her lips. She rested her chin on her knuckle, leaning over the engineering console. "Is that what we looked like Captain?" She asked, amused at the expression on Tom's face.  
  
"He's a little more dazed. I think, than you were." She answered. "Ensign Ashmore, you might want to take over the conn, I think mister Paris has gone into a trance."  
  
Tom didn't wait for the ensign to tap him on the shoulder, he simply ran up the step to the command center of the bridge, and pulled the Captain into an overly excited hug.  
  
"Captain, you look great!" He yelled.  
  
"Why thank you Tom." She laughed.  
  
"Hey Big Guy, what the heck have you been doing? We turn our backs for a split second, and there you go, knocking up the Captain."  
  
Chakotay chuckled as he stood, and Tom shook his hand and slapped him heartily on the back.  
  
"I'd say this is grounds for a celebration! It's party time!" He wrapped his arms around each of them, in an effort to lead them away from the bridge.  
  
"Ah, ah ah, mister Paris. Chakotay and I still have dealings to finalize with Tuvok before we can enjoy ourselves properly."  
  
Tuvok walked around the tactical console to greet them, and shake both their hands.  
  
"Congratulations Captain, Commander. Welcome home."  
  
"Don't I get a welcome home?" Tom heard B'Elanna's sensual purr, coming from behind him.  
  
He turned, and took her into his arms, placing a heavy kiss on her lips, and sliding her low to the floor in a tango style dip.  
  
She wasn't expecting it, and he received a sharp line of raked fingernails over his shoulder for his trouble. But he didn't mind.  
  
With B'Elanna, you had to expect some injuries.  
  
He brought her back up, and her hair spun about her face crazily. "Welcome home." He said, taking a light nip of her throat with his teeth.  
  
"Hey Paris?" Chakotay's voice had a menacing edge to it.  
  
"Uh, yeah Commander? What can I do for you?"  
  
"You break her, you buy her." He said, regarding B'Elanna with an undertone of fatherly affection, then turned his steely eyes on Tom.  
  
"She bought me first sir." He said evenly.  
  
Chakotay wrapped his arm around Kathryn's waist, and they both followed Tuvok into the ready room to discuss the changeover in command. "Lieutenant Paris, you have the bridge." He said as the doors to the ready room closed behind him.  
  
Tom wanted to leave the bridge so badly.  
  
It was a disappointment for him to be forced to stay here, when all he really wanted, was take B'Elanna back to her quarters and kiss her until she couldn't breathe.  
  
B'Elanna obviously had the same thought, but she had repairs to do and work to catch up on in engineering.  
  
She left the bridge with an air of indignation, and a promise to meet Tom as soon as work was completed.  
  
Whatever complaints Tom had before about waiting two and a half hours, were suddenly revoked in his mind. This was going to be the longest afternoon of his life.  
  
After only fifteen minutes, Harry was called in. Probably to give his accounting of the trip, Tom figured.  
  
When B'Elanna came back only twenty minutes after leaving the bridge, she walked straight to the ready room. He was tempted to follow her, to see what the story was about, and why Tuvok wouldn't just want them to write reports. That seemed more his style.  
  
It must have been a hectic two months.  
  
B'Elanna and Harry both exited the ready room, grinning like children. They didn't say a word to Tom, but went straight back to their work.  
  
Ten minutes more passed with nothing happening on the bridge except whispered remarks about the Captain's 'condition'.  
  
All three officers walked out of the ready room, and Tuvok stood to the side. Tom could see that he no longer had the four rank pips of Captain on his collar, but three pips, indicating that he was now a Lieutenant commander.  
  
He'd been a senior lieutenant when the Captain had given him command. It was rare for a Lieutenant to receive such honours, but there were no Commanders other than Chakotay aboard Voyager. And Tuvok was the man she trusted most for the job.  
  
He'd done well, considering the fact that he was Vulcan, and the unknown traps hidden throughout the Delta Quadrant. Even if Tom didn't really appreciate his style, he certainly appreciated the man's abilities.  
  
It was fitting that he receive such honours.  
  
"Captain on the bridge." Tuvok's voice rang out clearly, and Tom stood as a sign of respect. As much for Tuvok's sake, as the Captain's.  
  
"As you were." The Captain blushed at the attention she was getting, and tried valiantly to contain her emotions. "Ensign Ashmore, please bring Voyager to a full stop." She said.  
  
She tapped her comm badge. "Janeway to all hands." It bleeped in response. "By now you've all heard of Commander Chakotay and my return." She swallowed hard. "I'm very pleased to be back here with you, and I hope we will be seeing everyone at a reception in our honour that Neelix has apparently set up. We will be holding position here for approximately two hours while the festivities are in progress. Once we are again underway, we will attempt to catch up on projects that need to be done, and ships logs so that we both know exactly what's happened since we left. B'Elanna tells me she's nearly done with the major repairs, and that the minor ones can wait two hours while we assemble in the mess hall. I'm pleased to announce that this particular party has now taken on a grander scheme than even Neelix knows. Thanks to Tuvok, Chakotay and I are legally bound together now. Hopefully Neelix won't mind if we alter the theme slightly to include a wedding reception. Thank you." She breathed a sigh of relief that the announcement was over.  
  
Everyone on the bridge stared at the couple disbelievingly. It seemed as if these two were on a roll with unexpected information.  
  
"Why don't you just tell us that you're having twins now too?" Asked Tom. "You might as well drop all the bombs at once."  
  
She smiled. "It isn't twins, just one healthy baby boy. And this was our last and only chance to get the marriage done. We aren't intending to drop any bombs here."  
  
'Of course.' Tom thought. Only a Captain can perform the ceremony, and until a few minutes ago, Tuvok had been the official Captain.  
  
"Hey!" Tom suddenly realized what it was that he had been left out, and what both his best friends had been present for "You let Harry and B'Elanna witness?"  
  
"Mister Paris," Chakotay crossed his hands over his chest. "If you had been one of the witnesses, the whole ship would have known before we were even out of the room."  
  
"And that's a bad thing?" Tom chuckled.  
  
He understood their decision, even if he was disappointed.  
  
"Who will watch the bridge, while we mingle at Neelix's bash?" Tom looked about the bridge for volunteers.  
  
Harry came forward. "I've had a month in a small enclosed space with four very talkative people. I think I need some time to myself. I'll stay."  
  
The Captain looked pleased. "Mighty big of you Harry. I'll send Jenny Delaney up to assist you."  
  
Harry's grin widened. "I could use the help here. Thank you."  
  
Tom wasn't sure, but he thought that Harry was a little happier than he should have been about the Captain's offer.  
  
As soon as everyone began to file into the turbolift, he turned to Harry.  
  
"All right what's been happening between you and Jenny Delaney that I don't know about hmm? I thought you were supposed to tell your best friend everything?"  
  
"I didn't tell you, because I didn't want too many people to know."  
  
"I really have to get this bad rap off my record. Why do people always think I'm a blabbermouth?"  
  
"Aren't you?"  
  
"No, I'm not!"  
  
"Fine. I want to test that theory."  
  
"What do you have in mind?" Tom had a bad feeling that he might have just stuck his foot in it.  
  
"I'm going to tell you a secret, and if I hear it back from anyone else later on, I'm going to blame you."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
Harry lowered his voice to an almost inaudible whisper. "Jenny wanted to marry me."  
  
"What?!!!" Tom's voice caught the attention of everyone who was now in the turbolift, and waiting patiently for him to follow.  
  
"I'll catch the next one." Said Tom in dismissal. Then he rounded on Harry. "Spill it."  
  
"When we left Voyager two months ago, I asked Jenny how serious she was about our relationship. I had to make sure, you see, before we went public. She answered me by saying that she was serious enough that if I asked her to marry me right then, she would have to say yes."  
  
"What did you do?" Tom's eyes were as wide as saucers.  
  
"What do you think I did? I asked her to marry me."  
  
Tom blanched. "And I'm supposed to keep my mouth shut about this?" His voice turned up in a squeak at the end of his sentence.  
  
"I need to talk to Jenny and make sure she still feels the same before I want this to go anywhere. It has been two whole months you know." Harry smiled knowingly at Tom. "Don't worry Tom, I know you can do it."  
  
"Not even B'Elanna?" He whispered.  
  
"No One." Said Harry. "Not even B'Elanna."  
  
At that moment, the turbolift opened to admit Jenny Delaney herself.  
  
She ran over to Harry and wrapped her arms around him in a bear hug.  
  
"Does this mean I can tell now?" Asked Tom.  
  
"Go to the party Tom." Harry said, grinning like a fool.  
  
*I think I'll just keep you in suspense for another day or two.* 


	7. A New Beginning - Epilogue

Disclaimer: Everyone and everything in this story, is the property of Paramount. I just let their ideas ramble on a bit longer than the hour that they confine themselves to.  
  
1.1.1.1 A New Beginning  
  
By some miracle, the news of Kathryn's pregnancy had not yet been brought to the lower decks of the ship.  
  
All they knew was that somehow, the relationship between their two commanding officers had become complicated, and that they were now married.  
  
It was a bit of a shock for them to walk into the mess hall only minutes after her arrival, and find her surrounded by well wishing crewmen, all wanting to touch her belly, and feel the baby move.  
  
The attention wasn't something Kathryn had become accustomed to, and she had to hold back quite a few rude retorts.  
  
She found out more information about her crews' family lives in ten minutes at Neelix's party, than she had over three years. It was like all of a sudden, they remembered the families they had all left behind on earth, and felt a burning need to share their maternal or paternal experiences.  
  
She had to remind herself that this was all a new phenomenon to them. A foreign concept that somehow made her more approachable.  
  
Did being approachable make her less of a Captain?  
  
She wasn't sure, but this would make a good practical experiment.  
  
One of the things she was very aware of, was how they all looked at her and Chakotay, as if they were expecting them to jump on each other at any second.  
  
Kathryn tried not to let it affect her, but she found herself trying to stay out of his range of view. To keep everyone from knowing just how far things had really gone.  
  
She loved him so much.  
  
She had since the moment he pulled her into the safety of his arms, the day of the first plasma storm. He had saved her that day. He held her so tightly to keep her from running out into the storm to save her equipment. There they had cuddled, under the living room table as they watched the shelter and all its possessions rain down around them. She had cried that day for her losses, but she had also fallen deeply and disastrously in love.  
  
He had wanted to go back to Voyager too, just as much as she did, but he wouldn't allow her to sacrifice herself in the name of research. He cared too much to let her do something like that.  
  
It was the next day, when he told her the warrior story. The day, that he told her how he really felt.  
  
It had only taken two weeks for her to admit it to him after that.  
  
As she walked today among her crew, greeting them, giving out hugs, and tolerating their hands on her belly, she thought about moments like the night she told him she loved him.  
  
They had plenty of time.  
  
The mantra had circled around in her head taunting and teasing her until she finally gave in that cool night in early fall.  
  
They did not have plenty of time, because no amount of time with him would ever be enough to satisfy her.  
  
They had slept together that night. Just holding each other, and whispering love. Kathryn had never known that a man could be so beautiful. It was beyond what she had imagined of him, and far beyond what she really thought possible of any man.  
  
No one here would understand what that meant for her, and she didn't want them trivializing her love.  
  
So she kept herself far away from him.  
  
"When is he due?" A foreign voice intruded on her thoughts. One of the women from the science lab was standing in front of her.  
  
"Should be sometime in June."  
  
"You don't know the exact due date?" The crewman asked.  
  
"Not really." She didn't realize what she had just said until after the crewman had turned away with a smirk of amusement on her face.  
  
She felt like running after her and screaming "No we weren't like that! We can control ourselves!" But she just sighed, and let it pass. She knew it wouldn't help, and besides, it wasn't entirely all that true.  
  
There were many days on New Earth, that they just didn't bother wearing clothes. It was a warm enough climate, right up to early winter, to go skyclad, so they did. Constantly complimenting each other's physiques and 'doing the nasty' down in the ferns.  
  
That wasn't really what anyone would call 'controlling themselves'. The time in the Resolution was their first attempt at public romance, and they found that they weren't really all that good at it.  
  
The Resolution had been nothing but one person after another, telling them to 'get a room'. And they didn't want that kind of thing to filter on to Voyager too.  
  
Kes kept telling her not to worry, and that it would die down after a time. But Kathryn was starting to distrust Kes' instincts.  
  
B'Elanna kept saying that it was 'cute' and not to stop showing affection for one another just because people liked to tease them about it. Kathryn figured that she was right, and it was just one more thing she had to get used to.  
  
The party was a success, and Neelix had a grand time trying to stuff the Captain full of any food he could get his hands on. It was almost as if he thought she hadn't eaten in the year she had been gone, and was now supposed to gorge herself to make up for lost time.  
  
In fact, she had eaten quite well. As Chakotay's cooking was always top notch. But Neelix, as usual, thought that that was not the case, and that she needed more nutrients and vitamins. She tried her best to eat only a little of the slime he said was 'good for you and the little one.' But somehow, by the end of the night, she had swallowed every bit, but for one spoonful at the bottom.  
  
Neelix was satisfied.  
  
She and Chakotay retired to one of the empty quarters, as they had yet to move all of their things in to the Captain's old quarters. They were exhausted, and they slept tangled together on a very small twin size bed, face to face, with the bulge of Kathryn's stomach pushing Chakotay half off the bed.  
  
In the middle of the night, she felt the sheets being pulled off her. She heard a thump, and a muttered "Ow." And realized she had pushed him right off the bed.  
  
"Oh I'm sorry!" She said half laughing. "Are you all right?"  
  
He grumbled, and pulled himself into a sitting position on the floor.  
  
"Next time, we ask for a bigger mattress." He growled.  
  
"I'm too big to fit onto one of these by myself." She said. "Nevermind the two of us. Er… Three of us."  
  
He crawled up beside her again. "I'm just too tired to do anything about it. All the stress of the past three months, just lifted this afternoon, and I think I'll sleep until next week. There are no bigger beds on the ship except in the Captain's quarters."  
  
They lay squished in together, and he stroked his hand through her hair.  
  
"Chakotay?" Kathryn asked hesitantly.  
  
"What?" He whispered.  
  
"I don't want to lose you again."  
  
He remained quiet. She ran her fingers over his chest.  
  
"I wish they had come for us earlier." She said wistfully.  
  
"How much earlier?" He asked.  
  
"Right after I fell in love with you. They could have come then." Kathryn kissed him lightly on the jawline.  
  
"I wonder what it would have been like now if they had. I don't think you'd be pregnant right now if that was the case." He pointed out.  
  
"I guess not. We'll never know now."  
  
"I guess we never will."  
  
They fell asleep again, with the sheets wrapped around their tangled bodies to keep them from falling apart. A cocoon of safety, and oblivion.  
  
The End  
  
*I'm sorry it took me so long to get this whole thing posted. I hope the ending was sufficient. I'll be posting two whole new stories soon, and I won't make you wait for the next chapter. I don't like being mean! Look for the stories 'Green Blood', and 'Poltergeist'.* 


End file.
